Darkness is Falling
by BlackNo.1
Summary: Set in the AU: Hermione, Harry, Ron and Neville are the latest additions to the Auror's office. Voldemort has been vanquished but there is a new darkness descending on the Wizarding world. Bellatrix, along with Tonks are senior Aurors working with the newest recruits. What will happen when Bellatrix, who lost Severus as a partner, gets Hermione in his place?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Set in an AU, Harry Potter is famous because of his parents defeating Voldemort and being killed in the process. He did not beat Voldemort. Bellatrix was never a death eater though Neville's parents were tortured into insanity. It will be revealed later how/why Severus was killed and Susan Bones. It's just a story I am floating around in my brain I honestly don't know where it is going and what is going to happen I haven't outlined it yet.**

* * *

"For the last time Black my answer is no." Edwards said with a scowl at Bellatrix who returned the look of disgust. "Every senior Auror has to have a partner it's department procedure."

She shook her head, "I had a partner, remember?"

"Nobody is disputing your relationship with Severus Black, hell I know how much he meant to you but the fact of the matter remains you've been without a partner for nearly four months."

"So I just move on then, new partner to train like Sev-" She paused and took a breath, "Like Severus could be replaced."

Edwards frowned in sympathy, "Look Black I'll give you a fresh new recruit, never been field tested outside of the trials no bad habits for you to break. You can mold them just to your liking."

Bella ran her fingers through her mess of curls eyeing Edwards, "I don't want an idiot Eddie I want someone clever."

"Of course, only the best for my favourite Auror Black." Edwards replied before handing over the files to Bella to inspect. "In fact I'm going to let you pick your partner Black. I want an answer by two when they arrive."

Bella took the files and carried them to her desk, she immediately pushed Ronald Weasley to the side, the boy was an idiot just like his father. She flicked through the next one and scowled, Harry Potter, mediocre at best when she read over his test results. Her niece walked over and sat down taking the files that Bella had discarded. "New partner?" She said reading over Ron's file.

"Yeah, so far nothing worth my time." Bella said with a scowl pushing away the third file for Neville Longbottom though she didn't put it on the discard pile, the boy showed some promise. "Might be good with you." She said indicating Neville's file. Nymphadora looked at it with mild interest but she had the last file in her hands.

"I think I'm going to go for this one." Nymphadora said holding up Hermione Granger's file.

"No fair I've not looked at that one." Bella said swiping the file from Nymphadora and reading it over as her niece pulled the chair closer. "Oh, she's good." Bella said with a smile looking at the test results, "Her flying skills are rough but we can work with that." She said thoughtfully to her niece's obvious pout. "Take Neville, he seems promising, his knowledge of poisons is, well almost as brilliant as Severus." Bella said looking at Neville's file again slightly torn between Neville and Hermione. She had never had a female partner before; maybe it was better if she did not have a male partner who reminded her of Severus.

"Yeah fine." Tonks said taking Neville's file, Harry and Ron's were left back with Edwards to give out to the other remaining Aurors seeking partners.

"Hermione Granger." Bella said reading over Hermione's essay on why she wanted to work for the department. She was a muggleborn, Bella raised an eyebrow at that, Severus had been a half-blood. She stretched for a moment and decided to at least work with the muggleborn through her probationary period and if it didn't work out then, she shrugged no harm no foul. The girl was young; she remembered the name from her nephew Draco's endless complaints about being bested by her in potions and in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

* * *

Hermione sat with Neville, Harry and Ron in the Leaky Cauldron. She was practically bouncing off the seat in anticipation of meeting her mentor in the Auror's office. They all speculated who they would get that afternoon; while the first part of their trials was complete their mentors would finish off their training and see them through the first assignment.

Ron shoveled a chicken pie and chips into his mouth, his wand lay next to him on the table. Hermione, too excited to eat merely picked over her vegetables and chicken. While Harry, ever the slight humble bragger, was going on and on about how his father had been an Auror was would have been the youngest head Auror if it hadn't been for his untimely death. Neville was quiet; while both his parents had been Aurors he was still not sure if he wanted to fall into this line of work. He had joined the recruitment process because his three friends had and plus he thought it would make his gran proud of him.

"What happens if more than one senior Auror wants us?" Neville asked finally speaking. Harry swallowed down his chips before he gave a guess.

"Well I guess they flip for us or maybe let us decide who we want."

"Who do you want then?" Hermione asked, they had all read over the profiles of the senior Aurors trying to hazard a guess as to who they would be assigned to.

"I know I'm going to get Black." Harry said very sure of himself, "My godfather is a Black so," he shrugged, "I guess it is pretty much in the bag that I'll get a Black."

"Which one?" Neville asked picturing Nymphadora and Bellatrix.

"Bellatrix, she's close to my godfather's age so he's sure to have told her about me. Besides Nymphadora is a Tonks."

"Yeah but she's Bellatrix's niece isn't it." Neville added to which Harry nodded.

"Who do you reckon you'll get Hermione?" Ron asked finishing his last chip and taking a long drink from his butterbeer.

"I don't know, I am hoping for Bellatrix Black because she's the most experienced but, I guess I'll have to see."

"Naw Harry is going to get Bellatrix." Ron corrected her as if she hadn't been listening. "Sometimes it's good to be Harry Potter, it's in the bag."

Hermione frowned slightly at the pair of boys and then smiled at Neville, "Well whoever we get we'll get the best person for us I suppose." She finished her chicken or at least what she was prepared to eat on a butterfly filled stomach and stood. "Come on, this is certainly one day we do not want to be late."

* * *

Bella sat at her desk still reading over the file for Hermione when the four new recruits walked into the office. She glanced up looking at each of their faces with disinterest. She saw Harry nudge the Weasel and nod in her direction. She raised an eyebrow and looked back down at the file before closing it and signing her name to the front. Picking up her wand she left Hermione's file on her desk to join the other senior Aurors in the conference room.

Hermione entered the room after the senior Aurors; the group had taken all the seats at the front. She looked at Nymphadora sitting by Bellatrix, both women chatting quietly to one another with Bella patting her back for a second before drawing back her hand to sit up straighter when the head of Magical Law Enforcement entered the room.

Amelia Bones' arrival caused the rowdy room to instantly go silent, she surveyed the group with steel coloured eyes, and Hermione swallowed as the eyes fell on her. She had been friends with Amelia's niece Susan before- well the last time she had seen Amelia Bones had been at Susan's funeral. The eyes took her in for a brief moment before moving onto Harry and Ron.

Amelia gestured to the four people at the back of the room. "As we have said goodbye to far too many of our sacred brothers and sisters in the last year we welcome into our society these four new souls."

The Aurors hit the tables with the hilts of their wands in rapid succession. She spoke again when the noise faded. "It is our duty and our honour to continue in the tradition of magical order and justice. Our code will be upheld now and always."

"Neville Longbottom you will be working with Nymphadora Tonks." Amelia said as Nymphadora stood and turned to face Neville. She held his Auror badge out as he went forward to have it pinned to his cloak by Nymphadora.

Nymphadora gripped his arm, "Now and always, good hunting." Neville returned the grip on Tonks' upper arm, "Now and always good hunting." The Aurors again beat down the hilts onto the tables in a cheer.

"Ronald Weasley you will be working with Andrew Proudfoot." Ron's induction had been identical to Neville's. Hermione smiled at him and Harry gave him thumbs up. The two remaining recruits looked at each other; Harry straightened his tie and tried to flatten his hair.

"Harry Potter, you will be working with Victor Dawlish." Harry stood stunned for a moment looking from Amelia to Hermione. He had been so sure he would be selected by Bellatrix his feet felt quite frozen to the floor. Hermione nudged him forward to be pinned. She was so nervous at this point she felt like she had lost her hearing.

"Hermione Granger, you will be working with Bellatrix Black." Hermione couldn't help but smile it had been what she had wanted. She would have been happy with Nymphadora as well but Bellatrix Black. Harry stared with his mouth slightly open as Hermione went forward to be pinned by Bellatrix. Hermione remembered to say her line as the nearly black eyes locked into her brown ones. They were the darkest eyes Hermione had ever encountered, she could only see the difference between the iris and pupil when the light hit Bellatrix's eye from the side. She remembered to breathe and release her grip before it became awkward. She sat next to Bellatrix, her heart pounding out of her chest, she had done it, the most experienced Auror had chosen her as a partner.

She listened as Edwards stepped forward thanking Amelia Bones who then left through the door on the side of the podium. He waited for a moment for the aurors to quiet down once more. "Alright guys, listen up, new assignments are posted to the board as of ten minutes ago. New recruits, you will go with whatever assignment is given to your mentor Auror. Stay out of the way and don't get killed. Good hunting."

The Aurors hit their wands again, "Good hunting." They chanted in unison before rising up and heading to the door. Hermione kept feeling Harry staring at her, a flash of jealousy was evident on his face as she left the room first with Bellatrix. It was an unwritten rule that nobody else left the tables and chairs until Bellatrix did. Rumor was she was up for the head Auror position when Edwards retired.

"Right, so Hermione Granger." Bellatrix said when they arrived at her desk; she flicked her wand conjuring a chair for Hermione and a desk next to her own. "Congratulations on your NEWTS very impressive." She said sliding the folder to Hermione. "Now just sign your name beneath mine and we're all set"

Most of Hermione's first day was filled with paperwork, getting security clearance and being shown where the cafeteria was. Bellatrix showed her where the board of assignments were and she saw that Bellatrix's name was at the top of the board with 'case pending' next to it.

"What does that mean, do they not have an assignment for you yet?"

"Us." She corrected Hermione, "And no it means we have to finish the case we're on. So that brings me to your homework." Hermione straightened up with a bit of excitement, Bellatrix looked at her with amusement. "A bit of light reading for tonight." Bellatrix explained when she handed Hermione a very thick file. "I need you to read through this tonight and give me a full summary tomorrow morning before the briefing at nine alright?"

"Yes, right, no problem." Hermione said delighted to already have work to do.

"Now after the briefing and lunch tomorrow we're going to do some field work. We're going in to make an arrest. Are you up to code on violations for arresting offenses?"

"Yes, I know all three hundred and forty-seven of them." Hermione said breathlessly. Bellatrix raised an eyebrow, oh she had chosen wisely. "Good, we'll only need about ten of them tomorrow."

Bellatrix picked up her jacket and slipped it on. "Alright, see you tomorrow morning at seven for the summary. Have a good night Granger."

"Goodnight." Hermione said practically squealing with delight waiting for Neville to finish with Tonks.

* * *

"And then she told me we're going to go on an arrest tomorrow." Hermione finished excitedly sipping her fire whiskey. She had agreed to go out with the guys before heading home to read the file Bellatrix had given her. "Oh and she said congratulations on my NEWT results."

Neville slapped her on the back, "I knew you'd get Black. I'm so happy for you. I like Tonks, she's dead funny, we worked on filing paperwork today but tomorrow we're going to go on a stake out mission."

They both looked at Ron and Harry who were quiet since they had arrived in the pub. "Why are you so glum Harry? I know you didn't get Black but still you got selected. I heard when a recruit isn't selected they are treated like errand boys until someone feels bad enough to train them." Neville said shaking his head, "I was sure that was where I was headed until they called my name first."

"She liked your NEWT scores?" Harry asked finally taking a sip of his drink.

"That's what she said; they did set the school record Harry."

"Yeah," He responded glumly, he assumed wrongly that the name Potter would have carried him a bit further than it had. He planned on talking to Sirius to find out why Bellatrix hadn't selected him.

"What about your day Ron?" Neville asked, Hermione watched Harry's continued sour mood. She could have slapped him for being such a selfish prat.

"It was great yeah, my mentor is awesome, we went and had cake in the cafeteria and Aurors eat there for free." He added with a smile. Leave it to Ron to find the Auror with the appetite as big as his.

"Well I need to be going. Black gave me homework already." Hermione said proudly standing up and leaving some silver sickles on the table.

"Already?" Ron said in surprise.

"Yeah, about three hundred pages to read over before tomorrow morning. She wants a full summary of the case."

"Blimey, glad I didn't get her." Ron said nudging Harry who nodded. There was some slight relief in knowing that Hermione had an evening of work ahead of her though Harry knew she really didn't mind it one bit.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for the amazing response already to this story. I love each and every message and review. I am so excited that people are excited to see where the story is headed. :) I hope it meets your expectations.**

* * *

Hermione arrived twenty minutes before Bellatrix, she was eager to say the least. She had stayed up until nearly midnight going over the file of one Mundungus Fletcher. Bellatrix entered the office at five minutes to seven and smiled at the anxious young witch. She approved of the fact that Hermione had arrived first as she sat down two cups of coffee, one for herself and one for Hermione. "I forgot to ask you what kind of coffee you took so I just ordered you the most popular one."

Hermione was surprised and thanked her taking the lid off to smell the cinnamon concoction, "If you don't like it I can send an elf to get another kind for you."

"Oh, no no, this is very nice of you thank you." She said taking a sip, it was delicious.

Bellatrix sat back in her chair and studied Hermione for a moment, the black eyes drinking her in as if she could look into her soul. Hermione swallowed another sip of the coffee and flushed slightly from Bellatrix's stare before setting the coffee down and getting out the file. "Interesting reading?" Bellatrix asked taking a sip of her own coffee before adding some more milk to it.

"Oh yes it seems that this Mundungus fellow has been skirting around the edges of the law for about three years now. He was last seen breaking into your family's manor in Wales, apparently made off with several heirlooms before the security wards enacted. He's broken thirteen laws, all of which I have highlighted and each offense is punishable by up to three years in Azkaban." Hermione said handing the highlighted pages to Bellatrix along with the corresponding broken laws and their accepted jail time.

"Well done Granger." Bellatrix said as Harry and Ron entered the office looking blurry eyed and half awake.

"She's here Harry. Hey 'Mione, where were you this morning Harry and I waited for you."

"Oh, sorry." Hermione said turning from Bellatrix who was still reading over Hermione's notes with a smile. "I needed to meet Auror Black for seven. I thought I told you that last night."

"Oh, yeah maybe you did I don't remember. I think I got a bit trashed last night" Ron said sheepishly as he continued to stand at Hermione's desk. Bellatrix turned her attention from the parchment to Ron and Harry who froze to the spot by her unsmiling face and her black eyes.

"Auror Weasley is it?" Bellatrix asked twirling a quill in her hand, "It's perfectly acceptable to have a drink or two during the week however getting trashed is hardly the standard we uphold as Aurors. Save that for the weekend."

"Yes Miss." Ron said turning as red as his hair. Hermione frowned at Ron wishing he would piss off from her desk. He still stood there staring at Bellatrix.

"That will be all Auror Weasley I am sure your mentor has something for you to do, or perhaps eat." She finished before turning in her chair to check a note Hermione had made. Hermione watched Ron practically run from Bellatrix's desk and over to his own whispering furiously with Harry.

"Mione?" Bellatrix asked intrigued by what Ron had just called her.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "His nickname for me. I hate it, honestly." She sighed, she had repeatedly told Ron to stop calling her that.

"It's pretty terrible." She agreed, "It sounds like he's talking with his gob full of food." She shook her head, "I promise I will never call you 'Mione."

They settled into a comfortable silence for a few minutes until Bellatrix began to question Hermione's notes for the next two hours until the main briefing. She was very pleased to see each of Hermione's findings held up against the penalty code books that had been updated the previous month. "You are certainly earning your reputation Auror Granger."

Hermione blushed and beamed as Neville winked at her when he and Tonks had arrived from their stake out with muffins for the whole group. Neville had meet Tonks at four that morning and then after the briefing they would be back out there again. His entire face shone with excitement; apparently they were staking out a known werewolf den making notes of the men and women leaving the apartment building.

* * *

"Alright assignments up on the board, Black, you and Granger are making your arrest today after lunch. Give us a brief please."

Bellatrix stood at the podium using Hermione's notes to highlight who they were arresting and what his chargers were. "Any questions?"

Harry put his hand up much to the entire room's surprise. "Yes Auror Potter?"

"Why are you arresting him though, I mean he's really not that bad of a fellow. I know the guy; he's friends with my godfather. He's an idiot but he doesn't mean any harm."

Silence filled the briefing room, Bellatrix fixed him with her eyes and he began to squirm slightly. Edwards covered his mouth with his hand to hide his grin, he did love Bellatrix with the new recruits, and there was always at least one smart ass that she had to set straight in the first week.

"Mr. Potter." She said drumming her fingers on the podium for a moment, "While you may be a pint sized celebrity in the wizarding world riding off the talents and sacrifice of your parents I assure you that your fame does not grant you any leeway in my briefing sessions. You are a mediocre wizard at best who has somehow coasted along on the backs of far more superior wizards. Now will you be so kind as to remove yourself from this briefing and return when you are ready to fulfill your actual duties as an Auror and not as someone who lets people break the law because they are friends with your godfather."

Harry sat rooted to the spot staring in shock at Bellatrix's words. She raised her eyebrow at him as he continued to sit; she glanced at Edwards who was openly shaking his head with a grin now. With a flick of her hand Harry was lifted from the seat and shoved towards the door. Hermione's mouth fell open watching Bella move her other hand causing the door to open. "This isn't Hogwarts Potter, no Dumbledore to cover for your lack of talent." And with that the door slammed behind him. The Aurors roared with laughter, Bellatrix smirked and then cleared her throat. "Now then, does anyone have any real questions before I hand it over to Tonks?"

* * *

Harry was sitting at his desk when everyone filed out of the briefing room. Bellatrix did not even glance his direction as she took another sip of her coffee. "Ready Granger?" She asked to Hermione who was looking in Harry's direction.

"I thought we were going after lunch." Hermione said somewhat confused.

"We are, we're going to lunch now." She said with a smile when Hermione turned her attention from Harry to her. "Come on, bring Longbottom as well." She looked towards her niece, "Nymphadora bring Longbottom to lunch as well would you?"

"Don't call me Nymphadora." Tonks replied, her hair turning a bright red colour, Bella laughed at this, "Or I'll call you Trixie."

Bellatrix's laughter died in her throat, "Alright, Tonks it is."

* * *

The little group sat together, Hermione felt a little uncomfortable because Ron and Harry had not been invited along. Tonks explained though that Proudfoot and Dawlish were not part of Bella's little group. It's an old boy's club really and Bella tended to stick with the girls in the Auror's office for lunch.

"You call your aunt Bella?" Hermione asked as Bella had gone to the counter to order their drinks.

"I do, auntie Bella actually or mummy but not at work." Tonks said with a wink, "Just at home."

"Why mummy?"

"Only when she's being overbearing or siding with my mum on something I disagree with."

"Alright, so here we go." She said handing out the drinks when she returned, Butterbeer for Hermione and Neville and Sodas for Bellatrix and Tonks. "I do miss the days when I could have a nip before an arrest."

Tonks smiled at her, "Ah but it's more fun this way. Besides I need to have all my wits about me on the stakeout today."

They had an enjoyable lunch and left wishing good hunts to each other. Bellatrix stood with Hermione watching Tonks walk away with Neville. "I hate the whole werewolf business." She said shaking her head, "I never sleep when I know she's out there watching them."

Hermione swallowed and suppressed a shiver, she had only met two werewolves in her life, one was nice and the other…well Ron's brother still bore the scars.

"Shall we go arrest our perp?" Bellatrix said cheerfully when Tonks and Neville had apparated with a faint pop.

* * *

Hermione gripped Bellatrix's arm and they silently vanished from the street and arrived before a rundown looking pub in Cornwall. "Latest intelligence gave him as taking a room here." Bellatrix explained. "Stay close to me and keep your wand out, don't cast any spells unless you have to. Alright?" Hermione nodded and took her position behind Bellatrix who quickly cast an anti-apparating ward on the establishment. "He's a slippery git." She said pushing open the pub door.

It was a dank damp pub, there was straw on the floor and a stale feeling of old pipe smoke in the air. The inhabitants looked as if they hadn't left their bar stools in the last two decades. It was the kind of place where the old men would literally have mushrooms growing out of the pockets of their robes due to inactivity. The pub owner glanced up as he wiped a glass with a black greasy cloth.

"Where's Dung?" Bellatrix asked glancing around the room, the pub owner saw the Auror badge and pointed up to the second floor.

"He's in room three and tell him he owes me a week's rent for the room." He said handing Bellatrix the skeleton key to open the door. It would override any ward that Mundungus had placed on the room.

She walked up the stairs quietly, Hermione followed, her wand shaking slightly as Bellatrix stood before room three. Hermione swallowed and took a breath; her heart pounded in her chest as Bellatrix inserted the key and turned the lock. She entered the room as silent as death, Hermione stood in the doorway surveying the room.

Mundungus Fletcher lay on the bed, his cloak over half of his face and empty bottle of Ogden's rolled along the floor. Bellatrix smirked and then silently calling a body bind spell doused him with ice water. The man tried to come up swinging but found he couldn't. Bellatrix tossed his wand to Hermione who easily caught it.

"Ah now Dung you knew I was going to get you sooner or later."

"Black, naw couldn't be. I don't know what I done, why you here hey?" He said acting immediately innocent. "I'll have your badge, could give me a fatal illness throwing ice water on me like that. I got a weak chest Black."

Bellatrix doused him again and he garbled and swore "It's a risk I'm willing to take Dung."

He coughed and sputtered unable to do much more than that. "You've paralysed me ya daft witch." He suddenly began to sputter again as pink foaming bubbles came out of his mouth.

"Watch your dirty mouth Dung. Ugh you smell like Dung. When was the last time you bathed you filthy prat?" She doused him again and covered him in the pink bubbles before rinsing him off. "Now maybe I can stand to apparate with you without vomiting." She declared levitating him. "Granger, arrest him." She said finally looking over at Hermione who had been watching the entire interaction with the utmost interest.

"Mr. Fletcher you're under arrest by the Auror Department of the Magical Law Enforcement for the Ministry of Magic of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. You have a right to retain a council at your own expense or apply for one. Your charges will be given to you upon booking."

Bellatrix nodded, "Now ask if he understood you."

"Did you understand me sir?" Hermione said noticing the grease feeling of his wand. It left a black residue on her fingers that made her want to gag.

"I hear ya girl." He spat in her direction. "I know what ya mean."

"Right then, well done on your first arrest Granger." Bellatrix said as she gripped Mundungus and Hermione before she vanished them in silence.

* * *

"And then the bitch tried to drown me. Ask her hey, ask the young one she'll tell you. Bitch drowned me and filled me mouth with bubbles." Mundungus shouted at the intake officer. "Covered up me clothes and all I'm gonna catch my death and sue her for damages."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes, "You stink Dung what else was I going to do. Trust me you're in for a right cleaning once they book you." The attending officer tried to hold his breath while taking down Mundungus' details and the booking slip from Hermione.

"Ain't no need to be treatin' someone my age in such a rough manner. I couldn't been frail."

Bellatrix made a noise of disgust, "You frail, my ass you robbed my home."

"Weren't nothing personal Black, only I figure you got enough gold to not ever need nothing you got. Figured a Black wouldn't miss anything from a barely used house."

Bellatrix sat him down roughly in the chair, "I want all my things back Dung or I will make sure that the penalties are all given at maximum. Do I make myself clear because I am pretty such Auror Granger can add a few more charges to the ones we already have for you. Oh yeah and add the debt he owes to the pub owner." She said to the officer who nodded and made a note.

When Hermione and Bellatrix arrived back in the Auror department she led her over to the assignment board, "All right Granger, it was your arrest, you get to remove the assignment." Bellatrix said handing her the duster to wipe the assignment off the board. Hermione blushed and wiped it clean. The Aurors in the office hit their wand hilts on the desk and cheered for her. Shouts of 'good hunting' was heard throughout the office.

At the end of the day Bellatrix presented Hermione with a slip of parchment, "In honour of your first arrest, the first booking slip." She said with a laugh, Hermione's eyes shone happily as she fixed it to the wall in front of her desk. "Well done Granger."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N I know it's a short chapter, hopefully it is the only short chapter in the story. I am trying to get ready for the school term to start back so I am a bit distracted this weekend. Thank you for the reviews and messages.**

* * *

Hermione blew her hair off her forehead in concentration; her head was pounding up through the back of her skull. Ron, Neville and Harry were also with her, their faces in a variety of similarly pained expressions.

"Alright then, lets try it again. If you cannot throw it off within the first few seconds you might just find yourself on the wrong end of a killing curse."

Ron put his hand up, "Which end is that?" Harry stifled a chuckle and Hermione rolled her eyes. Proudfoot laughed at his question but it quickly ended when the door opened and the four recruits saw Bellatrix, Tonks, Edwards and Dawlish enter the training room.

"Sounds cheerful in here." Bellatrix commented walking over to the group, Harry immediately looked down and the smile fell from Ron's face. "What's the joke?"

"Oh it's uh, it's nothing." Proudfoot said quickly.

"Oh I don't know, we were all curious when we walked in. I love a good joke, I have a hell of a sense of humour don't I Edwards?" Bellatrix said watching Proudfoot now and not the four recruits. His face matched Ron's hair as he shifted around trying to find his voice.

"That you do Black." Edwards agreed leaning lazily against the wall.

"I believe you're working on the unforgivables today, are you not?" Bellatrix asked twirling her wand deftly in her fingers. "Learning to throw them off and that?"

"Yes." Hermione said, the only one of the group who was not intimidated to look up at Bellatrix. "Only none of us have managed it."

Bellatrix nodded, "I see. Proudfoot, you're dismissed. Tonks over here." Tonks joined Bellatrix on the mat while the four recruits looked up. Proudfoot left the training room with Edwards, Dawlish looked on from a bench.

"Alright now, I am going to cast an unforgivable on Tonks here. Now dearest don't throw it off I want them to see it yes? I'll keep it as light as I can." Bellatrix promised.

Tonks braced herself for the pain she knew was coming. The red jet of light flew off Bella's wand knocking Tonks to the floor. She didn't scream at first, she simply twitched on the floor, her eyes opened wide and unseeing for a second before a scream of complete terror ripped from her soul. Bella lifted it and was on her knees holding Tonks close, brushing back her hair. Her wand moving over Tonks' body soothing every ache as Dawlish hurried over and shoved a piece of honey colored fudge in her mouth.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat, Neville looked ill and Ron and Harry stared with their mouths hanging open in shock. The room was silent except for Tonks' panting as she drank some water and continued to lay with her head in Bella's lap. "Now, that is a nasty spell which I know you all know. It can be thrown off if you're strong enough and it's our job to make you strong enough to throw it off if you find that you cannot block it for whatever reason. Are you alright now?" She asked Tonks who was sitting up now. She nodded and moved slowly for a moment.

"Are you going to curse us?" Hermione asked quietly, fear in her voice.

Bellatrix approached her and put her hand under Hermione's chin to have her look up, "Most certainly and I am so sorry that I will be." Hermione's heart pounded in her chest as she looked into the black depths of Bellatrix's eyes. She wasn't lying to her, she was going to curse them, this wasn't a joke on the new recruits.

"Now, to avoid this curse you have to throw off the Imperius curse. If you throw off the Impreius curse then I won't Crucio you, today at least." Bella said with a smile, "I trust Proudfoot told you how to throw off Imperious yes?"

The group nodded slowly, "Alright, good, lets see, ohhhh I think lets have Potter first. Remember, if you can throw off the Imperius I won't Crucio you."

"Is this allowed?" Harry asked looking at Dawlish who nodded at him. Bella's laughter filled the air of the room and Tonks shook her head fully recovered now.

"Imperio." Bellatrix called hitting Harry between the eyes.

 _Can you hear me Potter?_

"I can." Harry said aloud, the group watched him. They could see that his eyes kept moving in and out of focus as Bellatrix regarded him silently the words she spoke only heard by Harry.

 _Say you're a useless prat._ Bellatrix smiled watching his face. _By the count of three throw me out of your head or admit to being the useless prat we all know you are. You don't belong here Potter. Ready for me to curse you now? 1…2…_

"No I won't!" Harry said finally in a yell that filled the silent room.

"Not so useless after all." Bellatrix said gesturing with her wand for him to sit down. "Well done Potter. But really you didn't have to shout you could have just spoken to me with your mind. Don't waste so much energy on shouting next time." Even when he did something right she insulted him just a little in Harry's opinion.

"Alright let's see, Weasley you're up." Ron failed miserably; Bellatrix had no sympathy as she cursed him. He lay twitching on the mat when Bellatrix lifted the curse before he was carried off and taken care of by Tonks and Dawlish. Edwards and Proudfoot had rejoined the group now and set up a score board with the recruits name and times they were able to throw off the curse.

Bellatrix seemed to take a long time with Neville, she was aware of his history and gave him the lightest touch of the curse. She couldn't bring herself to torture him just yet if he failed it. She had known his parents, they were the reason this kind of training was now mandatory for all Aurors. "Well done Longbottom. Well done, we'll work on your speed."

"And now we come to Granger." Bellatrix said after she patted Neville on the back and he had sat down. Hermione stood up from the mat, she was visibly shaking, Bellatrix gave her a small smile and told her to relax. Hermione continued to shake and Bellatrix waited, the small smile never leaving her lips. "Are you afraid?" She asked quietly, Hermione nodded, her eyes filled suddenly with tears and she took a step back. "Don't cry." Bellatrix said stepping closer, "Just relax you're just throwing off the Imperious curse. It's easier to throw off if you relax and you're not upset."

"What if I can't?" Hermione said fear shaking her voice.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there alright?"

Hermione nodded and brushed a tear away, her mind going to Ron and feeling sick. But Ron was ok now; he was eating a piece of fudge and sipping water. She had to do this, she had to learn. She was steadying herself and then nodded. "Ok, ok I'm ready." She said with a nod.

Bellatrix hit her with the jet of light and Hermione closed her eyes against the sensation flowing through her body. It felt as if Bellatrix had wrapped her in a warm towel and made her brain feel foggy. She leaned into the feeling of the warmth and smiled, "This is nice." She declared still leaning into the warmth, she felt Bellatrix laughing into her mind.

 _Push me away._

 _I don't want to, it's so warm._ Hermione cuddled into the feeling; did the Imperious make everything smell so delicious too?

Bellatrix's laughter again filled her mind _, Push me away now I know you don't want to._

 _No I want to stay in your arms, am I in your arms?_

 _You are, push me away now so I don't have to curse you._

 _You can do anything you want to me._ Hermione pressed her lips against the yummy smell and flicked out her tongue to taste, it was soft.

Hermione felt Bellatrix pull from her mind leaving it feeling as though she had been plunged into an icy river. She gasped and saw that she was in fact embracing her mentor, her head against Bellatrix' neck and her hands around her back. She jerked back and blushed not looking at Bellatrix. She closed her eyes and braced for the pain that she knew was coming but it didn't come.

"Well done Granger." Bellatrix said praising her and adding a line next to her name for completing throwing off the Imperious curse. "So that just leaves us with Weasley to be successful. You'll try again tomorrow Weasley." With that Bellatrix turned and left the training room without looking back.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry about the delay, school started back with the kids today so FUN FUN FUN :)**

* * *

Tonks came into the flat with a case of beers and found Bellatrix sitting on the couch, her feet up and her head thrown back as if she just been through the wars. "How was that kiss?" Tonks asked roaring with laughter to her aunt's death glares.

"Yeah how about that? Please tell me you were the only one who saw it from your angle." Bella asked grabbing a beer from the case and cracking it open before downing half of it.

"Yeah no worries I was the only one who saw it, to everyone else it just looked like a hug and a cuddle." Tonks said chucking and opening her own beer "Fuck, bet that has never happened before in the history of the Imperious curse." She laughed again until she was coughing.

"So tomorrow you're going to have to train them with that. Help Proudfoot out, he's a nice guy but I want them properly trained." Bella said finishing her beer and grabbing another one.

"So you're going to what train them on Occulmency and that?"

"Going to have to. I can't curse her." Bellatrix sighed and rubbed her face for a moment before beginning on her second beer. "Just go easy on Longbottom until he can do it properly. You know his history."

"Yeah I know." Tonks said closing her eyes against the pressures of the day. "I bet you could curse her if you had to." Tonks said eyeing her aunt for second before closing her eyes again.

"Leave it Dora." She said stretching again, "I didn't hurt you too badly today did I?" She always felt a bit guilty when she had to curse her sister's child like that.

"Naw it was just a little tickle." Tonks assured her with a laugh, "I mean to be honest maybe you're losing your magic touch."

Bella laughed, "We can go again if you want."

"Oh no, no I had enough of your magic today I assure you. My bruises will testify to that." Tonks said finishing her beer and opening another, she noticed Bella's empty one and handed her a fresh one.

"Are you staying here tonight?" Bella asked leaning back into the couch again.

"Yeah, got to get up early to stake out again with Neville. Nice kid."

"Are you coming out with us Friday night?" Tonks asked yawning now.

"Mmmm." Was Bella's sleepy answer.

Both women fell asleep in the living room before Bellatrix woke up around midnight and moved them both into the bedroom. Tonks had taken to sleeping over during the week when she had early assignments. Bella studied her niece for a moment in her natural state and smiled, she was a beauty. She laid down and threw an arm around her waist pulling her close, she felt a familiar pang in her heart; she had promised Severus. She sighed and pressed a kiss to Tonks' neck. She had sworn.

* * *

"Well what did you do then?" Ginny asked sitting in Hermione's flat eating a biscuit. Hermione had a pillow up in front of her face and clearly wished to be buried inside it from her blood red face in retelling Ginny about her day.

"Then I- I told her she could do anything she wanted to me and I kissed her neck." Hermione then refused to look up at Ginny again as her friend stifled a laughed and then put a sympathetic hand on her back.

"It's alright, you were under a spell I am sure she didn't even notice" Ginny said trying to reassure her.

"Oh she noticed, I don't think you can miss someone saying that and then kissing your neck and tasting it."

Ginny then roared with laughter, "You left out that fine detail. You tasted her neck? Wait wait back up just a second. You licked her?"

"I am going to die." Hermione said now speaking muffled from the pillow, "It is possible to die from total humiliation right? That's a thing?"

"Nope, you just get to live with it and you are going to see this person in oh…ten hours." Ginny said glancing at the clock "And tomorrow it is going to start all over again with her putting a curse on you and you floating away into it."

"Oh Merlin did the guys notice?" Hermione thought of Ron and Harry teasing her mercilessly the next day.

"Well Harry and Ron didn't mention anything about it other than you, Harry and Neville passed and Ron has to try it again." Ginny said grabbing another biscuit. "Come on it will be fine tomorrow morning you'll see."

Hermione shook her head, "That's just the thing Ginny I don't think I threw it off she just left my head and it felt like ice water filled my brain. I think she ended the curse I didn't."

"Well-no then she would have cursed you." Ginny said thoughtfully.

"I know-I must have thrown it off then. She's fair for sure, she would have cursed me." Hermione said with a nod feeling slightly better that she had indeed been successful with the task.

* * *

Bellatrix arrived to work late that morning on purpose; the trainees were already in the training room when she arrived. She had picked up their usual coffee and nodding towards Hermione holding it up. Hermione smiled and mouthed thank you, she felt a little better from the sick feeling she had that morning when Bellatrix had been late. Bella watched from the bench on the sideline with Dawlish and Tonks. Proudfoot had them lined up in height order and was blasting them with Imperious one by one.

"Build up a mental wall, get angry at the person cursing you, don't listen."

"What if they're hot?" Ron said nudging Harry in the ribs with his elbow as he laughed loudly.

Proudfoot smiled and shook his head, "Even if they're hot Weasley."

 **Three Hours Later**

"Again." Bellatrix called from the sidelines while Ron lay on the mat panting from the strain of trying to throw off the curse.

"I-I'm trying." He whined pathetically.

"Throw off that curse or so help me I will Crucio you into St. Mungo's." Bellatrix said getting off the bench and walking to the mat. It had been hours, she was hungry, tired and irritated at this point. Neville had left with Tonks an hour before; Potter had left with his Auror. Hermione was reading over defensive spells in the corner while Proudfoot raised his wand to curse Ron again."Come on Weasley, everyone is being held back because of you. We've been at this all morning." She threw the spell at him and Hermione closed her eyes to sound of Ron's screams.

"Stop it!" Hermione shouted and jumped to her feet, "He can't do it, can't you see?" Bellatrix lifted the spell and turned to look at Hermione, the brown haired witch faltered slightly as Bella stared at her with those black eyes. .

"Auror you are out of line." Bellatrix said very calmly, her eyes not leaving Hermione's. "if this is too much for you to stomach perhaps you'd like to read in a quieter setting or go to lunch."

Hermione did not move or look away; her jaw was set as she could see Ron panting on the mat out of the corner of her eye. She was shaking like a leaf, what the hell was she doing? "He can't do it Bellatrix."

Bellatrix folded her arms over her chest and studied the witch for a moment, "You're right, he can't, I think Crucio isn't enough of an incentive." She flicked her hand and Hermione felt herself being pulled towards the powerful witch. "Auror Weasley, if you cannot throw the curse off, Auror Granger will be receiving your punishment. Enough incentive now?"

"What? No!" Ron shouted from the mat, Hermione's mouth went dry as she stared at Bellatrix in horror.

"It's life or death out there Mr. Weasley. Your actions can either save your fellow Aurors or get them killed. I will not send anyone out into the field unless they are ready for anything. Whatever game you think you're playing at in training Mr. Weasley I can assure you that those wizards and witches out there are not playing it with you. Now, I'm going to curse you Auror Weasley and if you do not remove the Imperious curse, Proudfoot is going to Crucio Auror Granger. It will be your fault and you will have let her down. When you let an Auror down you're signing their death certificate. Is that clear Auror Weasley?"

Ron was now moving up from the mat able to take deeper breathes now; his eyes were fixed on Hermione as he shook his head. Hermione opened her mouth to speak and Bellatrix looked back at her, "Auror Granger if you were in a duel or under heavy fire in a tight spot would you want someone like Weasley or someone like me covering your back?"

Hermione looked from Ron to Bellatrix but stayed silent. Ron looked surprised and Bellatrix smiled, "That's what I thought, I wouldn't want Weasley watching my back either." She stepped away from Hermione and flicked her wand at Ron and waited. Hermione's mind swam in fear that any moment she was going to be cursed and twitching on the ground screaming. She didn't want that, she didn't want to feel it or have Bellatrix see her like that. She tried to back away from Ron and Bellatrix but she felt herself rooted to the spot. After five tense minutes Bellatrix stepped back from Ron and sighed, her fingers running through her hair, she frowned at Hermione.

"Do us a favour Auror Weasley if this is such a joke to you go join your brothers in their joke shop. You're dismissed. Clear out your desk by this afternoon." Bellatrix turned and left the room leaving Ron standing on the mat and Proudfoot red faced as Hermione followed her mentor from the room.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Scene of violence in the middle of the story. Just a warning.**

* * *

Ron sat angrily peeling the label off his bottle as Hermione, Harry and Neville sat sipping their drinks. Ron had admonished Hermione already for not walking out with him though Harry and Neville shut him down immediately.

"No the problem isn't Hermione, the problem is Auror Black. No offense Hermione but she thinks she is the lady of the all the Aurors in that office." Harry said agreeing with Ron's earlier statement that Black had taken his dismissal too far. "I mean its one thing to do a briefing session but she enjoys humiliating people." Harry continued, the bitterness from being sent out of the meeting still playing on his sensitivities.

"She isn't like that Harry and she had a valid point Ron." Hermione said shaking her head and frowning at the pair, Neville stayed silent next to her. "If you can't throw off the Imperious Curse Ron what will you do with it gets harder?"

"You couldn't even say you'd want me in the fight Hermione. When she asked you couldn't even tell her no, you just sat there like-" What Hermione sat there like she didn't get to hear because at that moment Bellatrix walked into the pub with Tonks and a woman who looked very like her and could only be a relative. They chatted to the barman for a moment before heading to the stairs. Hermione met Bellatrix's eyes for a moment and saw her smile briefly before turning back to the group she was with.

"Ugh, we need to get out of here, the rich of the world are descending." Ron said with disgust when Draco Malfoy's mother Narcissa arrived and headed for the same stairs without so much as acknowledging Tom's greetings.

"What do they do up there?" Hermione asked now seeing several others arriving and going in the same direction.

"Who knows congratulating themselves on being the best thing to ever come into the wizarding world I guess." Ron said purely jealous. Hermione called Tom over to settle the bill.

"Ms. Granger?" He asked questioningly.

"Yes?"

"Lady Black requests that you join them in the private parlour upstairs if you do not having anything more pressing in your evening." Tom said with a slight bow.

"I-um." She didn't have any more plans for the evening after drinks with the guys; she frowned at the group for a moment.

"Are you really going to go up there and answer her call like a whipped pup?" Ron said the disgust clear on his face.

"Really Ron-" Hermione began but Neville cut her off.

"Ron, Bellatrix was right if you can't throw off the Imperious Curse then there is no way you'd be able to do any of the others. You have to do it or- well trust me if you want to see the results of being unable to dodge or throw off a curse; go visit my parents." Neville's eyes were dark with emotion, he was proud of himself and Hermione and of course Harry for succeeding, he didn't want to see Ron die or be tortured just to be an Auror like Harry.

Hermione took her bag and left some money with Neville, Ron watched her with a glare as she ignored him and followed Tom up the stairs into the private parlour. She wasn't sure if she should knock or not, she didn't hear sounds from the room so she quietly opened the door and was shocked to find only Bellatrix sitting in the room leaning against a table.

"You took your time Auror." Bellatrix said tilting her head slightly watching Hermione's look of astonishment. "What's the matter wondering where all the guests went?"

Bellatrix approached her, her cloak still fastened from her earlier arrival. "Oh at home I suspect or out eating and drinking with friends." She said twirling her wand around lazily in her fingers. "Though Nymphadora will be meeting us along with Mr. Longbottom as soon as he is away from your friends."

"How did you know I would come?" Hermione asked aware that Bellatrix had come closer now, her wand still twirling in her fingers. She was aware of the way the light hit off of Bella's hair making it look as if gold was laced into the black curls.

"Curiosity." She said with a smile, "You were curious as to what we were all doing here yes? They are my cover when I am on assignment; the whole unknowing wizarding world thinks the elite get together for inane parties. Meanwhile, they are just covers for me when I need them. It's just my sisters and niece looking like other people over and over again until it seems like there is enough people. Clever huh?" She said with a wink. "Now," her hands slipped around Hermione's waist and she felt the younger girl's breath catch; she suppressed a shiver at the sound. "Hold on tight to me and when we get there, stay close." She whispered against Hermione's ear enjoying the girl's inability to hide her shudder. Hermione blushed and was grateful she was facing away from Bellatrix so she couldn't see it. She felt Bellatrix's arms tighten around her and the feel of being pulled along and pushed into the older Auror as they disapperated.

* * *

They arrived at the house a few minutes later, had it not been for Bellatrix, Hermione would have fallen on the landing, as it was she felt Bella's arms steady her on the landing. "Stay close to me." She repeated again in her ear before releasing her and Hermione nodded.

"Are you the Aurors?" A elderly lady asked wearing a housecoat and slippers, in her hand was a rolling pin used in making pies.

"We are, are you the witch who called it in?" Bella asked showing her the Auror badge. "I'm Auror Black this is Auror Granger." She said quickly.

"I'm a squib." The woman said frowning, "I can still connect to the magical world."

"Of course you can Miss.."

"Figg." She said still holding the pin like a wand.

"Miss. Figg, can you tell us what happened here?" Bellatrix asked snapping her fingers and producing a quill and parchment.

"Terrible things happened here, screams and the like, never heard nothing like it. Snarls too, vicious sounding and curses, I see green jets shootin' out the top floor windows. Weren't no social call Auror Black."

"Did you see anyone leave?"

"No just heard them cracking out, you know the sound. Don't know how many there were, three maybe four cracks."

Bellatrix nodded, "Thank you Miss. Figg, will you be around if we have some more questions? We might need to bring you down to the station later."

"Oh I suspected as much Auror Black that's why I put on me housecoat."

Bellatrix nodded and walked back over to Hermione. "Alright," she sighed for a moment, "We've got some possible bodies inside though they may have taken them. Don't know what we're dealing with yet as far as suspects but let's keep our heads down and have a look around."

Hermione nodded and drew her wand out as she followed closely behind Bellatrix as they moved quietly along the perimeter of the little garden. "I don't see anyone when I scan but still, keep your eyes open yeah?"

"Yes." Hermione agreed as Bellatrix tested the wards on the home, they were none and both women frowned, no wards meant that the owner was dead. Bellatrix glanced back at Hermione and pushed the door open silently on its hinges. Every step they took seemed to thunder through the house, Hermione's eyes were wide as she looked around at the path of destruction. Wet marks on the floor looked scarily like blood as they pushed on further into the house, their wand tips the only light being produced.

"Are we going to the top floor?" Hermione whispered near Bellatrix's ear and her mentor nodded grasping her hand for a moment to squeeze it and pull the girl along.

No amount of training could have prepared Hermione for the scene upstairs, it looked as though the murderer had painted the room in blood, it soaked into everything, the carpet, the drapes, even the ceiling showed evidence of blood splatter. Hermione gasped and then felt herself getting sick. "On the stairs." Bella called quickly when she heard Hermione retching. Bellatrix was very used to the smell of blood, the sick iron smell that came with it, the very air coating it onto her tongue. She ventured further into the room while Hermione again became ill.

"Bella…" She heard Hermione call, she froze in place, it was only the second time Hermione had used her nickname. She hurried into the passageway and saw what was obviously terrifying her recruit. Hanging from the chandelier was the grotesque and twisted body of the homeowner, his wife and child. Parts of their bodies were missing as blood dripped down from the cuts along their bodies. They had been ripped apart literally limb by limb. The child's head was turned upwards at an odd angle, the neck obviously broken, the eyes wide and staring in horror. The bottom half was missing which made it impossible in the light to tell if it had been a boy or a girl. Hermione's hand was in front of her mouth, "Bella…" She managed to get out.

"Woah." Bella reacted with lightning speed seeing Hermione begin to fall; she caught her quickly and pressed Hermione against her chest. "I've got you Pet." She said still holding her close as Hermione felt herself descend into darkness that smelled of vanilla.

* * *

Hermione awoke lying on a bed that was not her own, the warm blankets around her smelled of something familiar, something she couldn't place right away. She remembered the human chandelier and whimpered, she instantly felt a hand on her head smoothing back her hair. "Are you alright?" The voice was familiar, kind and quiet. "Bella said you had a bit of a shock." The hand again ran over her hair. Hermione felt a fizzy drink touch her lips and she drank the liquid gratefully. "She said for you to stay here tonight and she'll brief you in the morning and to not worry." The voice added quickly as if she knew immediately that Hermione would worry. "Sleep now, I'll wake you in the morning." The cool hand retreated and Hermione closed her eyes, the fizzy liquid she had consumed warmed her entire body oeven to her fingertips and then tugged her lovingly into sleep to surround her warmth.

The potion worked for a few hours until the images invaded her dreams, her whimpered cries were met with the same cool hands touching her face and more liquid to warm her body. She could hear Bella and Tonks talking above her but their voices were so far away as if they were talking underwater. She caught snatches of the conversation, Bones, murdered, werewolves, serial…and she drifted off again.

She woke in the morning, her body heavy as she slowly opened her eyes and sat up. Her head felt foggy as if she'd had too much to drink the night before. "Good morning." The voice from the previous night greeted her. "Bella's downstairs waiting for you I was just about to wake you." And then the voice was gone. Hermione pushed back the heavy blankets sorry to have to leave the warmth and safety of the bedroom. She moved quietly through the upstairs until she found the passageway that led to the downstairs area, she followed the sounds of voices and arrived in a dining room. Bellatrix was sitting with the woman from the night before and Nymphadora.

"Good morning Granger shame did you sleep well? I didn't know where you lived so I brought you here when you fainted." Bellatrix said pointing at a chair for Hermione to sit in. "How is your head?"

Hermione looked confused and then touched the sudden sore spot on her head. "Foggy."

Bellatrix nodded, "You hit it on the railing before I could get to you. No serious damage though." She said patting Hermione's hand that rested on the table now. "Eat some breakfast and then we'll be off yeah? Also this is Andy, Nymphadora's mum and my little sister. This is her house."

"Thank you Andy for taking care of me." Hermione said to the woman who looked like Bellatrix but the eyes were lighter, the depths warmer than Bella's.

"Not a problem, Dora had the same reaction to her first murder case. Terrible business." She said sadly and patted Hermione's hand in much the same way that Bellatrix had.

"What did Amelia say?" Bella asked piling Hermione's plate with food and passing it to her.

"She's upset, left for work already. Brings back all those things with Susan." Andy ran her fingers through her curls and sighed, "Do you think it's the same guy?"

Bellatrix nodded, "I need to talk to the team but yeah, yeah I think it is."

Hermione felt she was going to be sick again, Susan, her friend in high school, her first kiss, her first girlfriend, had been killed three years before. What was described in the media as a terrible accident hadn't been a terrible accident at all and was the reason that Hermione had decided to become an Auror.


	6. Chapter 6

Hermione sat in the ready room with Bellatrix, Tonks, Longbottom, Bones and Edwards. She averted her eyes from the photographs of the human chandelier that were tacked up magically against the wall. She found out from Bella that the child had been a boy, there was a girl as well, Rachel, but she was missing, assumed dead as well. She shifted again when they tacked up a picture of Susan; Bellatrix noted the look on Hermione's face and frowned. She leaned over, "Do you need to excuse yourself from this case Granger?"

"No. I want to help bring this guy in." She said taking a breath and looking up at the head of the table where Amelia Bones sat. The woman was looking through the notes from Bella's report and sighed before leaning back and meeting Hermione's gaze. She had supported Susan and Hermione's relationship, she had been happy for her niece when she said she was in love with the brown haired girl. She had comforted and made her niece endless cups of tea when the pair had ended and parted as friends. She rubbed her hand over her forehead for a moment as if her head were aching before she turned her attention fully from Hermione's brown eyes to look at Edwards to begin his briefing.

"So we're sure this is the same beas- person who murdered Susan?" Amelia asked when Edwards concluded their initial findings.

"The bite marks match and I am sure when we locate the lass, well-" Edwards glanced down and then back at Amelia, "I'm sure that we'll find a similar pattern. I am sorry Lady Bones." He added to Amelia's nod.

"Have we accounted for all the registered werewolves?" Hermione asked into the silence that had descended on the room.

"We have Auror Granger though with the information from Longbottom and Tonks we've a few who are not registered. We'll be making a raid on the complex later today; if it isn't any of them well… we're sure we'll get some information out of the beasts- uh, other magical folks." He added quickly to Amelia's smirk.

"Keep me abreast of any new information." Amelia rose, "Good hunting." She caught Hermione's eye again and then left the room.

Bella rested her hand on Hermione's knee to keep her from rising when everyone else was leaving the room. Hermione jumped slightly at the touch but remained seated, the vanilla scent tickled her nose again from the previous day and she realised why the bed had felt familiar. She had been sleeping in Bella's bed or at least the bed Bella used at Andromeda's home.

Her eyes followed everyone as they left the room until it was just the two of them.

"So Auror Granger." Bella said removing her hand now and resting it beneath her chin. "I need to know if you're in this fully or if you're going to be distracted by Susan's tie to this case." Her voice was kind and curious, she seemed to be looking at Hermione very differently than the day before.

"I am in this Bella- Auror Black. Susan and I- well we parted as friends about two years before- we were friends." She ended quietly looking down at her hands. Bellatrix reached over and lifted her chin to meet her eyes.

* * *

Hermione stood with Neville in the training room while Tonks and Bellatrix circled them slowly.

"Will this do?" Tonks asked tugging at Hermione's cloak.

"Should do, let's test it though." Bella answered raising her wand. Hermione closed her eyes and waited for the stinging hex to hit her. It bounced off the cloak harmlessly and Tonks smiled at Bella.

"Remind me to send those twins a thank you for a cloak well made. Very impressive, it's a damn shame those two didn't look into this program instead of their useless git of a brother." Bellatrix said firing another spell towards Neville as she watched it bounce off and dissipate into thin air. Hermione's heart stung a little at the comment but she let it go. Fred and George were very talented and their line of defensive goods were impressive.

"Alright, word of advice before we head into the raid." Edwards called from the doorway. "Stay close to your mentor, stay low to the ground, aim for the head or heart, stun, don't kill unless necessary. Good hunting." He called.

"That was more than a word." Tonks called out before fastening her own cloak.

"Good hunting." The four Aurors called back before the trainees took the arm of their mentor to disappear into a puff of smoke.

* * *

They arrived silently in the alleyway across from the complex. "Right, we've got Aurors in the opposite alleyway who will be sealing the building from any of the ones who can apperate. Our targets are Thomas Karakal and Rodney Alburke. Take them alive." Bella looked at the assembled group, "Kill the others if they try to get in the way."

"But Edwards-" Neville began and was silenced by a glare from Bellatrix.

"They are werewolves Longbottom so unless you feel like becoming one yourself, you kill them if they get in your way. Stun them if they don't." She added as an afterthought to try and appease Longbottom. "Granger, you're with me. It's a maze in there so stay close."

Hermione nodded and pulled the hood of her cloak up mirroring Bella's movements. Tonks and Longbottom were going to enter from the roof, Bella and Hermione were going in the side to the basement. The plan was to meet up in the middle unless they obtained their targets first.

The crossed the street after Bellatrix cast disillusionment charms over herself and Hermione. She felt as though a raw cold egg had been smacked on her forehead and was oozing down over her face and chest. She could see the end of Bella's cloak as they moved by the side of the building to the basement entrance. It took a moment for Hermione to get used to the darkness of the basement, the smell nearly made her vomit her breakfast. It was a mixture of blood, urine and feces that smelled as though it had been cooking in the sun and then left to rot in the shadows. The floor was thick with fur that muffled their footsteps; the hair floated through the air and nearly choked her as she tried to slowly breathe. She pulled up her cloak to mask the smell and the hair.

As they neared the stairs Hermione could hear screams coming from the depths of the complex, she looked shocked and stared at Bellatrix. The girl, it had to be. Bella shook her head as if she could read Hermione's thoughts. It wasn't the girl; the screams were from someone else, someone much older than the girl that was missing. They began to climb the stairs casting silencing spells to prevent the creaks that came with the age of the building. The scream came again and Bella froze listening intensely. She drew Hermione close to whisper against her ear, "Transformation but it's daylight." She swallowed and backed away from the door pulling on Hermione's hand. "We're aborting this mission." Hermione turned to follow her silently down the steps retracing their steps. A movement from the corner caught Bella's eye and she pulled Hermione behind her. The young auror caught a glimpse of the animal that watched them, the features somewhere between a man and a beast, yellow sharp teeth shone between a twisted smile of cracked bleeding lips.

"Bellatrix." The voice growled, it sounded like knives moving over stone, as if the mere act of speaking was painful. "Got a new pet?" A wheezing laugh tore from the beast's throat as rust tinted spittle flew from his mouth. "Careful girl you might end up in a box." He laughed harder and coughed, more rust coloured liquid flew from his mouth. "Just like her last Pet. What was his name again? Ah, Severus."

"Karakal, how charming to see you again." Bella replied, her wand out towards the beast, her other on Hermione's side keeping her pulled against her back. She could get them out if she needed to, it would hurt like hell to break through the enchantments but she could do it. The scream sounded again, it made Hermione shake despite being pressed against Bella's back.

"What is your pretty pet's name?" He asked moving so he could slowly pace back and forth, his eyes not leaving Bella's, her wand following him.

"What happened last night Karakal? To the family in Whitehall?"

The laughter returned as he paced again, Hermione noticed that he was very slowly moving closer to the pair of them. She pressed closer into Bellatrix; the smell of Bella's vanilla scent was welcomed in the stench of the basement. She prayed for the familiar crack and jerk that would mean safety away from this place.

"Justice." He said when the laughter faded.

"Butchering a family and kidnapping a child isn't justice." Bella said taking a step back to keep the same distance from Karakal.

"To us it is." He growled tilting his head to look at Hermione. She swallowed looking into his very human eyes, the green flecked with golden specks.

"Where is the girl?" Bella asked shifting her weight slightly to lunge back if he pressed forward. "What do you want with her?"

"Dinner." He said laughing again and in a flash Hermione felt herself thrown back hard against the wall. She saw the teeth bared towards Bella as the older witch cried out the curse, a green jet of light slammed into the mass of brown and black fur before his teeth could close over Bella's shoulder. He landed centimeters away with a thud.

"Bella!" Hermione cried, her arms flew around her mentor as she buried her face into her neck. "I thought- Oh Bella." Hermione clung to her as Bella, surprised at first, returned her embrace.

"Come Pet." She said after a moment releasing her, her heart raced slightly from the feel of Hermione clinging to her. "We need to get word to Tonks and Longbottom. The girl isn't here."

"How do you know?"

"I saw it." Bella said taking Hermione's hand and leading her to the basement entrance to the alley. "Saw everything I needed before I killed him."


	7. Chapter 7

"Auror Black what were my words of advice before you left with your partner?" Edwards called when Hermione and Bellatrix met at the safe house with the rest of the teams. Tonks and Neville had managed to bring their target in alive for questioning.

"Stay low to the ground." Bella repeated like a grammar school goody two shoes.

"To stun." Edwards corrected her, his arms crossed as he glared at Bellatrix and Hermione. "Kill if necessary. Tonks and Longbottom managed to follow my advice I would like to know why you felt it was important to change my orders on arrival before you entered the building."

Bellatrix glared at Neville, Nymphadora would never repeat any of Bella's orders to Edwards.

"Don't look at him, you look at me Black and you, Granger," Edwards said pulling a door open, "get into the ready room. You both better have a damn good reason why I have a dead werewolf outside."

Neville's face paled as she watched Hermione walk, her head down, following Bellatrix into Edwards makeshift office. He slammed the door shut behind them rattling the pictures on the walls.

"You, Granger, what happened?" He asked sitting heavily in the chair not paying the least bit attention to Bellatrix now, his eyes locked onto the young trainee in front of him. He noticed the slight tremble in her hands from nerves and that she breathed deeply before she spoke.

"Karakal attacked us. He lunged for us. Auror Black was protecting me." She finished glancing at Bellatrix who sighed and stared up at the ceiling.

"Where were you in relation to Auror Black during this interrogation?" Edwards asked scratching his quill along a piece of parchment now.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked unsure of what he was getting at.

"Where in the room were you when Karakal attacked you so that Auror Black had to take extreme measures?"

"I- well I was behind her sir."

Bellatrix stopped looking at the ceiling and glanced at Hermione for a second then down to the floor. Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"You were behind her, watching her back so she turned to kill him?" Edwards pressed trying to get a clear picture of the scene.

"I- Well no I was sort of facing him and Auror Black was as well but I was- well I was behind her but I could see him." Hermione tried to explain it and Edwards put up his hand to stop her.

"You were hiding behind Auror Black's back so Karakal lunged at both of you and Auror Black killed him yes?" Edwards asked for clarity.

Hermione felt her face redden about five shades of crimson. "Yes sir." She said quietly before flushing all over again.

"You are an Auror yes Granger?"

"Yes sir."

"You allowed a fellow Auror to put their life completely in danger to protect you?"

"Edwards-" Bella interjected but he held his hand up to her and she fell silent.

"Answer my question Granger because I would like to know why the hell you went out into the field if your first inclination is to hide at the sight of danger because trust me five years into this job and a werewolf will seem like a cuddly fucking golden retriever at the end of the day."

"I was following orders." Hermione hissed at him, her eyes were blinded by tears of embarrassment. Bella had pulled her back, Bella had held her there and not let her move, Bella had pulled her in closer and put herself between Hermione and the Karakal.

"No Granger, my orders were to bring the werewolf in stunned. If you had been doing your Merlin damned job I would have two fucking werewolves to question instead of one. Get out of my office and go back to the Ministry, see if you can get some remedial training because if I ever hear of you ducking behind another Auror it will be the last assignment you ever pull for me. Is that clear Granger?"

Hermione stood her hands in fists at her side as she took a trembling breath. Bellatrix did not stand up with her to leave. "Go on Granger, your girlfriend isn't done with me yet." Edwards said causing Hermione to flush again as she stalked from the office and shut the door a little harder than was necessary.

Neville jumped back from the door when Hermione came through and was decent enough to flush from having been caught. Tonks was looking at Hermione's red face and angry tears before coming over to pat her shoulder. "We've all been bitched out by Edwards before. Come on; let's go get a drink yeah? It's Friday, shifts over." Tonks pulled a cloak around Hermione's shoulders and took her arm to whisk her away to a nice quiet little pub in Hogsmede away from the bustle of the Leaky Cauldron.

* * *

"What the fuck were you thinking Black?" Edwards said with a heavy sigh staring at Bellatrix.

"I told you I wasn't ready for a partner Edwards. I told you I didn't want one and what happened, what I bloody well knew what was going to happen. Karakal was a fucking asshole and the world is better for having lost him." She added for good measure. "Besides I got what I needed out of him what else was he good for."

"He was an informant Black you knew that going in."

"Yeah some informant, he murdered a family and- trust me you don't want to know what he did to that girl." Bella added, the memory of it making her rather sick to her stomach. "He lunged for her Edwards" Bella added softly, "I saw what he was going to do to her."

Edwards ran his hands over his face and rubbed his cheeks until they were red and sore, "You know her behavior was unacceptable."

"It was my fault I grabbed her and threw her behind me."

"She didn't have to stay there Black, she should have come out stunning like she's been trained to do. You should have stunned him."

Bellatrix took a breath and blew it out slowly, "I don't stun Edwards. If you want an Auror who stuns, send in Dawlish and the Potter brat. You actually want the job done, you send in my team. Your choice." Bella rose from the chair and then rolled her eyes sitting again when she realised that her ass chewing was not finished.

"You fired the Weasley kid. Why?" Edwards said now flicking through a few pieces of parchment on his desk until he located the one he was looking for. "Kid filed a complaint, wants to be reinstated."

"Are you seriously going to talk to me about this stupid git? He couldn't even throw off the Imperious curse after nearly three days of practice."

"You didn't Crucio Granger when she failed the first day, why?"

Bella frowned and put her walls up glaring, "You're rude Edwards, stay the fuck out of my head."

"You're avoiding my question Black." Edwards said pulling back from the force of Bella's power.

"I made a training choice." She answered now standing up again, she was leaving even if Edwards wasn't finished with her yet.

"Reinstate Weasley." Edwards said pushing the parchment to her.

"The hell I will, he's useless."

"I owe his father a favour, reinstate him and I'll forget to write up Granger for a discipline warning in the field."

Bella snatched the quill and scribbled her name on the parchment and threw it back in Edward's face. "Fine, but the next fuck up from Weasley and no amount of favours will get him back in."

"Deal." Edwards said grinning, "I knew you'd come around Black."

* * *

Hermione was on her fourth beer when Bellatrix came in, she grabbed Tonks' shot and threw it back. "Fucking prick." She mumbled before she slipped into the seat next to Hermione. "Your little friend is back in the program." She said shaking her head and holding the glass up towards the barkeep to get another one.

"What? Why?" Hermione asked confused, Tonks had gone to the bathroom. She had felt better after hearing about Tonks' first week on the job and the fact she had broken Severus arm much to Bella's anger during a training session.

"Seems Edwards owed his dad a favour." She sighed and leaned back in the chair eyeing Hermione carefully. "He's watching you now." She said quietly against Hermione's ear, "You have to be careful little Pet." She took her drink from the bartender, threw it back and ordered another.

Hermione shivered at Bella's nearness and her words, it wasn't the first time she had called her Pet. Hermione felt the room go slightly fuzzy and warm.

"Why would he be watching me, isn't he always watching us?"

Bellatrix laughed, Hermione's heart fluttered, Bella had a beautifully filthy laugh when she was truly tickled over something. "No, I watch and he just sits behind his desk getting fatter every day."

Tonks rejoined the table and shook her head at Bella seeing her shot was gone. "Really Auntie." She said wiggling the glass at the bartender.

"I am keeping you sober." Bella said seriously and then winked, "Besides I promised-" She stopped herself and her mood drop for a moment before she pushed away thoughts of Severus and returned to Hermione and Tonks.

"You need to pace yourself we still have to go to London tonight." Tonks reminded her.

"This is my last one until then I swear." Bellatrix said laughing again and having a fourth shot. "Are you coming with us?" She asked Hermione who was now smiling and feeling her feet go numb. It was such a delicious feeling sitting next to Bellatrix, smelling the vanilla of her skin and the way she leaned so their legs touched under the table. She wasn't sure how to answer, where was where they were going?

"Um I don't know, what's happening?"

"We're going on a pub crawl." Tonks said finishing off her last shot. "Through the rainbow district. Draco's birthday."

"Oh." Hermione said with a slight frown, she and Draco were not friends; in fact he was source of a lot of teenage agony in Hermione. "Draco's gay?"

"Bi." Bella said trailing her thumb absently over Hermione's knee as Tonks began to explain the pub crawl. Hermione would go anywhere if Bella kept touching her like that.

"And then we've arranged cars to meet us at the end of the route so we can all get home. Nobody wants to travel by magic this trashed." Tonks finished with a grin. Hermione's fingers were drawing delicate patterns on the back of Bella's hand now with her free hand.

"Sounds great, yes." Hermione said as Bella reached to get her cloak.

"Great I'll meet you guys there." Tonks said, "I have to get Astoria and meet you guys there." And with that she vanished.

Bella, who had downed a sober-up potion to begin the pub crawl, held out her hand for Hermione before pulling her closer. Hermione gasped slightly as Bellatrix held her there without either one moving. Her hands roamed slowly down Hermione's back as she met her eyes. "Edwards is pissed because I can't curse you." She whispered before brushing hair off Hermione's forehead.

"You can't curse me?"

"That first day with the Imperious curses, I should have hit you with a crucio and I couldn't." She rested her roaming hands on Hermione's hips. Hermione's breath caught in her throat, she hadn't thrown it off.

"You should have." Hermione whispered, her hands resting on Bella's arms.

"Maybe next time." Bella said pulling her in tight, "Hold on Pet." She whispered in Hermione's ear before turning slightly and disappearing with the young auror in a swirl of colours.

* * *

The night was a blur of loud clubs, quiet pubs and lots of drag queens and feathers. Hermione couldn't understand and neither could Draco why they had never been friends in school. By the end of the evening they were like best friends hanging on one another and singing along with several muggle show tunes from the West End they overheard as they had walked along. By the seventh pub Draco had declared Hermione an honorary Slytherin and had given her a green and silver scarf which she proudly wore for the rest of the night. Bella had pulled away from Hermione and was cuddling with a blonde girl that Hermione had never seen before. They were whispering and laughing in the corner and Hermione swore she saw a kiss or two exchange lips before the blonde departed around the fourth pub. Hermione put her efforts into having fun with Tonks and Draco leaving Bella to watch from the sidelines. At the last club however when the group was dancing together on the floor, Bellatrix managed to get Hermione away from the group for a moment to hand her some water.

"Having fun?" She asked with a smile as she ran her hand over Hermione's Slytherin scarf.

"It's wonderful, thank you for inviting me." She gushed slightly, her buzz was teetering on the edge of no return.

"Are you ready to go home?" Bella asked close to her ear.

"With you?" Hermione asked in surprise, her question seemed to also surprise Bellatrix who had simply meant to take Hermione to her own home.

"Well-sure, yeah you can come home with me." Bella said trying and failing to rescue the misunderstanding before Hermione caught it.

"Oh you meant to my house." Hermione said with a grin, she was too drunk to be embarrassed. "Yes you can come home with me to my house. Let's go." She said taking Bella's hand after she waved to Draco and Tonks.

* * *

They waited on the corner for the car to arrive to take them to Hermione's flat. They were silent on the car ride other than Hermione telling the driver where in Kensington she lived. Bella helped her find her keys in her bag and then helped her up the stairs.

"How are you not drunk?" Hermione asked leaning into the door to unlock it.

"I pace myself, plus I think I drink far too much so I am a functioning alcoholic." The last bit was a joke that made Hermione lay her head against the door so she could laugh. They go the door open and slipped inside.

"Would you like something to drink?" Hermione asked when they came into the flat. Bellatrix looked around, it was a beautiful, books rested on every surface and where there wasn't books there were scrolls of parchment.

"Just water." Bella said turning to take in the room, she could see Hermione's bedroom down the small hallway. She could smell Hermione in the house, the scent that was just hers. She breathed deeper to capture it, her head swam a little.

"Here you go." She said holding the glass to Bellatrix who sipped it.

"Do you live alone?" Bellatrix asked not seeing anything that appeared to belong to anyone else.

"I do. I had a roommate but, well it didn't work out." Hermione explained sipping water from her own glass. "So, um." She had never asked anyone back to her place before and she was unsure of what to do. The silence away from the club was deafening.

Bella sat the glass down and walked over to her, her hands moving up Hermione's back and into her hair. Hermione couldn't stop the soft moan that escaped her lips from the touch as they looked into each other's eyes. Bella leaned in and brushed a soft kiss to Hermione's cheek. "Goodnight."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Trigger warning towards the end of the story as they process a crime scene.**

* * *

Bella woke with a slight groan in her bed at Andromeda's house. She could hear the chattering downstairs and rolled her eyes, of course Andromeda and Amelia would be awake this early. She groaned again and sipped the water beside her bed, how in the hell had she made it home last night? She chuckled until it made her head hurt, functioning alcoholic. She stretched slowly, her mind wandering back to Hermione and how she had left her. Fuck, why had she done that? She could have- well yeah; why the fuck had she left? She sat up slowly, her eyes wincing in pain, Andromeda was sure to have a hangover potion lying around. She rubbed her temples and set off towards the cheerful voices in the kitchen. As she entered the room her sister and her lover glanced up from their breakfast.

"Morning drunkard." Andromeda said pushing the phial of hangover potion towards her older sister.

"Cheers." Bella said tipping the contents of the potion and feeling it ease through her body. "I'll have you know that I paced myself last night and decided against taking advantage of a situation that would have left me elsewhere this morning." She sat at the table and pulled Andromeda's plate towards herself. Andromeda rolled her eyes and conjured another plate of food for herself.

"And just who were you going to wake up next to this morning?" Andromeda pressed to hear the details as she buttered her toast.

"Hermione Granger." Bella said with no hesitation though Amelia nearly choked on her tea.

* * *

Hermione woke up hanging over the end of her bed; her head felt like it was being slammed with a sledge hammer. Why oh why didn't she remember to buy a hangover potion before she left the last bar? She groaned, now she remembered why, Bellatrix had come home with her last night. She had asked Bellatrix to come home with her…her boss, her mentor. She pulled herself onto the bed, every movement made her feel as though she were going to have to race for the bathroom. Had she kissed Black? She tried to remember the previous evening but the details were hazy, she remembered Bella being in her flat, she remembered lips.

* * *

Monday morning shone bright and early, Hermione frowned to herself when she saw Ron approaching with Harry to the lifts that led to the Auror office. "Hey 'Mione, I'm back. Got that bitch's decision overturned." He said with a triumphant grin.

"Don't call me 'Mione Ronald." She said for at least the billionth time, "My name is Hermione, I don't have a nickname. And Black isn't a bitch."

"What's got you in such a pissy mood?" He asked putting his arm around her shoulders. "I'm back 'Mione, the trio is back together and Black can't stop us." He ignored her request to stop calling her 'Mione.

Hermione managed to get out from under his arm when they entered the lift and requested their floor. Her mouth was set in a firm line. "What's the matter with 'Mione?" Ron asked looking at Harry.

"There is nothing wrong with me Ron but Black was right when she dismissed you." Hermione said in defense of Bella's choice to fire Ron. There was a slight hint of guilt though knowing that Bellatrix had not cursed her when she herself failed to throw off the curse on the first day.

"What the bloody hell 'Mione we're not going there again." Ron said bitterly remembering their conversation with Neville the day he had been dismissed. "And another thing, I'm not taking anymore of Black's crap."

"Oh do tell Mr. Weasley." Bellatrix commented as she stepped into the lift before the door shut. "Granger, Potter." She nodded her greeting. "You're going to the wrong floor Weasley."

Ron's face was as red as his hair. "I'm-I'm an Auror again Miss." He said trying to push defiance into his voice.

"Indeed you are, one who still cannot throw off a curse. You're in the training arena until you can actually master that. I won't put my Aurors at risk for your lack of brains and talent." Bella said as she turned to appraise the red head when the door to the lift opened. Harry and Hermione exited before Bella turned to leave. She leaned in and whispered so only Ron could hear, "Way to not take any of my crap Weasel. You're as useless as your old man."

Ron was dumbstruck as the gate closed to seal him into the lift as Bella smirked and then waved bye as he headed back down and away from the Auror's floor. Hermione and Harry had already gone through the doors and had not witnessed Bella's final mockery.

* * *

Bella dropped into her chair and began rummaging through the stack of files. "Ready to get back out there?" She said when Hermione joined her.

"With the werewolves?"

"Indeed." Bella said nodding, "We have a body to recover and fortunately I know where she is. Now, a word of advice; if things get heavy don't ever tell anyone that you hide behind me."

"I don't want to hide." Hermione said feeling as though she needed to defend herself to Bella, the memory of Bella's lips on her skin still felt warm.

"Of course you don't and I value that; however I can't let you get into harm's way." Her voice was gentle now. "If I say move, you move yes? And you hide if I tell you to hide." She squeezed Hermione's arm as Aurors filed by on their way to the ready room for the daily briefing.

"Stay close to me." Bella whispered as she took Hermione's arm. Side along apparating was not her favourite means of travel but Bella had to memory locked in her head as to where the girl was left. "They don't usually stay near a kill but you never know, these werewolves are acting unusual."

* * *

Hermione squeezed Bella's arm and took a breath as the world vanished and then reappeared in a heavily wooded area. Bella looked around her shield up and her wand out, Hermione copied her refusing to hide away again like a frightened fox. They scanned the tree line and moved forward slowly, there was nothing, not even a twig snapping. Hermione relaxed slightly but Bella did not, she cast ward spells off the trees surrounding them and until Hermione saw they were surrounded by a slight shimmering she did not leave Bella's side.

Bella looked around and saw the blood trail, it was faint at first, she produced a purple orb quickly, the tiny ball of light moved across the blood and set off among the trees. "Seekers orb." She explained, Hermione had read about them but had never seen one in action. They watched the light move for several minutes among the trees, it circled this way and that following the blood trail, this tiny little light would mark everywhere there was blood from the girl so the Aurors could quickly find what they needed. Finally it came to rest and exploded in a shower of sparks, Bella frowned and followed to where the sparks led.

"Oh." She said and it was the only sound she made, laying at the base of a huge oak the torn and bloodied body of the young girl lay, her white nightgown adding to the innocence of the scene. Hermione felt her own sound choke within her throat. Bella examined the child scanning her body quickly in the futile hope of signs of life. "You poor thing." She whispered, her fingers pulling leaves and twigs from the mud and blood matted hair. "It's alright now, I've got you." She watched Bella's slightly trembling fingers pull the nightgown down to cover the girl and leave her with dignity that reality had not provided in her final moments. "Auror Granger." She said in a quiet voice, "We need to-" she cleared her throat, she hated when it was a child, "We need to process her." Hermione forced her feet to move forward as she produced a sheet and helped Bella cast coverings around them. When the other Aurors arrived they would not see them, only the white tent that surrounded them.

Hermione could hear the faint popping sounds of Aurors arriving, they would follow the trail, gather what they needed but their own work would remain undisturbed.

"Did you do this in training?" Bella asked scrapping carefully under the tiny fingernails.

"In a simulation but-" Hermione swallowed, she refused to get sick.

"But this is real now, I'll get this side, you get that one. Remember to be gentle with her." The last words were spoken so softly that Hermione felt her eyes sting slightly as she too began to scrap under the fingernails.

"Did they-" Hermione asked when Bella very slowly cut the gown away with her wand, Hermione held the bag open to catch the gown.

Bella took a steadying breath, "They did." She answered before she began to process the lower half of the girl. "Wash her hair out and make sure to catch all the dirt and blood. Get all of it off her."

Hermione began to slowly wash the girl's hair, she marveled at the respect that Bella paid to the victim. Was she always this careful, this kind? Hermione made the water warm; perhaps that was how the girl would like it. She felt sick again watching as the mud and blood swirled together in the basin, when she had rinsed it completely out she saw Bella was still not done.

Hermione shampooed the girl's hair and then carefully worked the comb through it when she added conditioner. She dried it carefully and combed it out until it shone. She had removed every bit of dirt from her upper body while Bella now did the same to the rest of her.

"Can't we-can't we dress her?" Hermione asked her voice tight now.

Bella shook her head, "We can cover her with a sheet but no, we can't dress her."

"Please Bella, I don't want to leave her like this." Hermione moved to stand by Bella, "It isn't right to-to leave her exposed when we go. What if, what if they don't treat her kindly?"

Bella cocked her head and looked at Hermione, she knew the whole team would be more than reverent to the innocent child before them on the sheet but then she frowned, what if Weasley wasn't- what if he said something so beyond stupid that she was forced to curse him into nothingness.

"Dress her; I'll make a note that we did." Bella said turning now to finishing filling in a report on the makeshift table in the white tent. And with those words the spell that had descended on them broke and Hermione could hear all the noises outside the tent and the shouts of Aurors running around to process the scene.

Hermione dressed her in a copy of the nightgown that Bella had removed; she stared down at the sleeping beauty before her, her fingers brushed over the child's forehead. She felt tears slip down, it wasn't a fairy tale and this child would never awaken.

"You did well." Bella said quietly, her hand on Hermione's back. "Come, let's head back and hand in our report. The office will be quiet for the afternoon." Hermione glanced at her watch, it was nearly two, they had been there for nearly five hours.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been a bit lost lately and trying to find my feet again. Thank you for all the follows and reviews and favourites, it means the world to me. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

Hermione stumbled slightly on their landing, as always Bella caught her, after righting Hermione she squeezed her hand. "It's alright." She said in a gentle voice. Hermione felt the tears stinging her eyes again. "It's alright." She whispered again, Hermione shook slightly as she gasped for breath and was embarrassed that it came in spasms. "Shhhh." Bella whispered, she wrapped Hermione in her arms, her lips pressed gently into her hair as she whispered her name softly over and over again feeling the shaking get harder. Bella conjured a blanket and wrapped it carefully around them as they stood in the empty office. "It's alright baby girl." She cooed, her lips pressing again to Hermione's hair and cheeks. "You did such a good job." She said, her voice staying soft and even. Finally Hermione let it go and collapsed against Bella sobbing.

"How- how could they do that? How can people do that-" Her tears wet Bella's neck and she buried her face into the black curls and shut out the world.

"Those weren't people Pet, those were monsters." Bella replied to Hermione sobs of why. They stood for what felt like an eternity in the empty office wrapped in the warm blanket until finally Hermione's shivers ceased and she sniffed still held in Bella's arms. Soft little comforting whispers and kisses pressed against Hermione's hair as they stood.

Hermione let her breath out and lifted her head. They stared at one another in the silence of the room; Hermione's eyes red and puffy from crying, her cheeks wet from her tears. As she looked she felt herself fall into the dark depths of Bella's eyes. How could anyone have such black eyes?

"Bella-" Hermione started, the black eyes narrowed slightly now moving from looking at Hermione's eyes to her moving mouth. She felt the fingers move slowly along her arm and pause at her wrist. The fingers tightened slightly as Bella breathed her in, her eyes finding their way back to Hermione's.

"Come home with me." The voice was low, almost hoarse; Hermione had never heard that tone from Bella before, her wrist throbbing slightly under the feel of Bella's grip. She felt herself nodding as the file landed on Bella's desk and they were gone with the familiar pull that left the office behind and Hermione pressed tightly into Bella's body.

* * *

The moment they appeared in Bella's house Hermione felt Bella pulling at her shirt, her lips crashed into Hermione's who groaned at the contact. She worked at the buttons on Hermione's blouse before giving up and pulling it open. Hermione heard the buttons hitting and bouncing off the wooden floor. She hadn't taken in the surroundings for even a second before her own hands were moving to unfasten Bella's cloak. She felt the dark witch moving her back slowly as they kissed, back and back until they were in a heavily scented room. Hermione's head swam, the scent, the vanilla scent from Andromeda's house was deep in the air around her. Bella's scent, she moaned again and felt Bella smile into the kiss.

Bella let out a slight hiss against Hermione's cold fingers on her stomach when she managed to pull Bella's shirt away, her nails scratched lightly along the alabaster skin. Hermione ached all over, what were they doing? Was this right? Another kiss from Bella sent the thoughts out of her head until the only thing she could think about was Bella, Bella beneath her, on top of her, surrounding her. They fell onto the bed together, their hands eagerly pulling at the remaining clothing between them.

"Hermione-" Bella whispered as if the name were the sweetest thing she had ever tasted. Hermione shivered at her name on Bella's lips said that way. Her lover's hand slipped between her legs eliciting another lustful moan from her as the touch was quickly followed by soft kisses along her neck and breasts. She wrapped her fingers into the black curls that trailed over her chest as Bella moved slowly towards her goal.

She groaned nearly as loudly as Hermione when she heard her name whispered into the darkness of the room. The lustful desperate pleas that fell from Hermione's lips made her press harder so she could hear it again. "Bella-" She gasped begging for release, "I- I need- please."

"Fuck baby let me feel you cum." She choked out as Hermione called her name in a strangled cry as she came hard against Bella's fingers.

Hermione lay panting on the bed, her curls stuck to her forehead as Bella crawled her way back up the bed to press her mouth to Hermione's. The groan was nearly enough to send Hermione over the edge once more when she tasted herself on Bella's tongue. She shivered in the afterglow and chill of the night air. They had been in bed for hours now; their only pause was to get something to drink every now and again before they kissed their way back along one another's bodies. They hadn't spoken other than whispered words of each other's names and other endearments. Now however, now there was silence as Bella rolled onto her back to stare at the ceiling for a moment.

They said each other's name at the same time and Bella let out an uncertain laugh. "You first." She said not looking at Hermione.

"I-um- I don't know what I was going to say." Hermione said, her heart pounding as she rolled over on her side looking at Bella's profile.

"Mmmm you were going to say, holy fuck what did we just do." Bella offered turning her head to look at Hermione, those dark eyes pulling her in once more.

"I-" Hermione hesitated, "No- I-" She swallowed hard, her face flushed as she searched for the right words. "What- what were you going to say?"

"I was going to say, holy fuck what did we just do." Bella offered with an easy smile to reassure her bed partner.

"Are you sorry? For what we did?" Hermione asked, her heart pounding so loudly she was certain Bella would hear it in the stillness of the room.

"No." Bella said rolling over and pulled her close, "Are you?"

Hermione shook her head, "No." She was so relieved that Bella did not regret their impromptu love making session she wasn't sure what to say next.

Bella took a deep breath, "Do you have to be somewhere?" she asked.

"No, do you?"

Bella shook her head, "Nowhere to be and nobody to see." She smiled then and trailed her hand slowly over Hermione's hair. "Just here with you, if you want."

* * *

They sat in the briefing room with everyone else. Hermione watched as Bella went with the photographs and the file to the front of the room. Ron had joined them from the training room; he frowned in Bella's direction. Hermione sighed; he was so childish it was ridiculous.

"Her name was Abigail, she was eight years old." Bella said with a sigh, she tacked up the photos with her wand. She looked like a little girl asleep, a photograph a parent might take of their child. Bella finished the brief; a few Aurors pinched the bridges of their noses to fight the stinging feeling in their eyes. Hermione did not hear the rest of the details; her eyes were fixed on Ron who was whispering in the corner while Bella spoke. She felt the rage building up inside her; she saw Bella's eyes fall on Ron but before Bella could demand his exit Hermione was on her feet. The table flipped over as she stood, her own papers flew into the air as her wand was out blasting towards Ron.

"You stupid bloody git." She hissed, Bella was on her in a second along with Tonks and Neville. Bella's hand closed on the wrist of her wand hand. The curse hit Ron between the eyes, puss and blood sprang from his nose. "They should have never let you back in here." She shouted feeling Bella forcing her hand down now painfully.

"Let go of your wand Granger." Bella said, her fingers squeezed Hermione's wrist forcing her fingers open until the wand clattered to the floor. "Out." She hissed near Hermione's ear. "Now." Hermione stared at her in disbelief. The eyes burned into hers and she left without protest, her wand clattering away towards the other side of the room as her foot hit it when she walked past it.

"Get him to St. Mungo's." She stated after Hermione had left the room followed by Tonks.

Hermione was in the training room kicking a training dummy.

"You might want to get a good story and calm yourself down before my aunt gets in here." Tonks said offering a word of advice. "What the hell were you thinking? You could have really hurt him."

Hermione glared, "Would have been too good for that stupid prat." She spat out giving the training dummy a well placed kick between the legs. "It was just a puss curse, nothing more painful than a broken nose." She said kicking again.

Tonks looked at her confused, "Hermione- no- you- you"

"Leave us." Bella said appearing in the door way, Hermione's wand in her hand. The other hand Hermione saw was covered in orange ointment, burn cream for severe burns. Had she done that? She had of done that because she had been with Bella all morning, all of the previous night. She glanced at the clock, it couldn't be right, the time, where had the last hour gone?

Tonks swallowed and walked past her aunt giving her a meaningful look before exiting the room entirely.

"Granger, do you mind telling me why you nearly killed Auror Weasley?"


	10. Chapter 10

Hermione stared dumfounded at Bella's orange covered hand, she took a step and Bella moved slightly in reflex. "Ah-ah Granger, you stand where you are." Bella held up her wand and moved her hand over the end showing the whisper of the previous spell to Hermione with a raised eyebrow. "What do you call this spell?"

Hermione shrugged and frowned, "I don't call it anything I don't know that spell." She watched the smoke curl up from her wand to form the ghost of the spell again. It curled like plant tendrils, flames whipping around it. She glanced at Bella's hand. "Are you alright?"

Bella nodded, "Auror Weasley is at St. Mungo's but he should be fine." She leaned in the doorway, Hermione's wand was tucked away again and now out of sight. "The question is what to do with you."

"What are you going to do with me?" Hermione swallowed, her mind conjured visions of Azkaban. The prison in the middle of the North Sea bewitched to never have full daylight, to never cease the terrible storms that raged day and night. The silence hung between them to the point that Hermione felt herself shift her weight uncomfortably to the other leg.

"What happened in there Auror?" Bella pressed seriously, it was not unkind but it lacked the usual familiar tone and warmth that was usually reserved for Hermione. The previous night and morning forgotten in reflection of Hermione's attack on Ron.

"He-" Hermione faltered, "He was talking, when- when you were talking about Abigail, he-" Susan's face flashed into Hermione's mind, the way she had looked when-Hermione swallowed back a painful ball of emotions in her throat. "He was happy-" She shook her head trying to piece together what had sent her into her rage. "He was glad she was gone-" She shook her head again, they were talking about this morning, Abigail, the meeting. "No- he was talking, he-" Hermione balled up her fists, her nails dug into her palms, the pain grounded her. "He hated her." Hermione whispered, the fight gone out of her now, her legs unable to hold her up any longer. She sank slowly to the floor, her fingers relaxing painfully as Bella watched her, those black eyes never moving away or betraying any emotion she may be feeling.

 _She sat in the living room, the auror sat across from her. Susan was missing, when had she last seen her? They had had a fight, what had it been about? They had broken up the year before but still remained friends. They had slept together, a once off thing that meant nothing but a fun night for both of them. Susan had wanted to make up and Hermione had refused. Why? The auror asked her, why had they fought? Hermione couldn't remember, something about Ron, Ron kissing Hermione in the club._

 _"How could you, how could you let him do that?" Susan had spat out angrily. Hermione was just as angry, just as loud as Susan._

 _"Because I wanted to. You're not the only person I kiss." Had been the reply, the look on Susan's face. The literal heartbreak that crossed it as Susan stared down at the floor and then at Hermione. That had been ages before she went missing. When had she seen her last? The previous week at her aunt's promotion reception. Susan had asked her as a friend to come along. They had nearly shared a bed that night but it was Susan's turn to stop it, to keep Hermione's passion at bay. She wouldn't risk her heart again, not until Hermione was certain that she would be with just her._

 _Ron had laughed, was cheerful even when Susan was missing. He had claimed she was a drama queen waiting to be rescued, waiting for the attention to try and get Hermione back. Hermione had told him he was full of shit, told him to shut his stupid mouth but for a moment the words made the thought cross her mind._

 _His words were a cruel twist of fate the following week when the aurors along with Amelia Bones came to Hermione's door. The look on Amelia's face told Hermione what she needed to know before the words were spoken. 'Gone', not in the sense of missing but gone, gone away from this world of existing. The cry strangled in Hermione's throat. The black haired auror catching her as she sank to the floor from the news. The words that Susan was gone played over and over in her mind as she was led to a chair and given some water._

Hermione sat silently, the images of Susan played through her mind, Bella made no move towards her. She waited and watched until Hermione regained her composure, the brown eyes finally focusing on Bella's black ones. "Are you with me now?" Bella asked, she still leaned casually in the doorway. To the untrained eye she would look slightly off guard but Hermione knew, Bella would strike like a viper before you could blink if she sensed danger. "To be clear Auror Granger we are talking about the incident this morning, not from Ms. Bones' tragedy." Bella stated, she frowned slightly at having to say those words, at having to be hard with the woman who only just last night shared her bed.

"Are you going to arrest me?" Hermione asked her voice so small it made Bella's heart ache to hold her.

"Should I?" The auror narrowed her eyes slightly, her head was pounding and she could think of several other things she would rather be doing to Hermione than contemplating a jail sentence.

"I-" Hermione didn't know honestly, yes she should be arrested but-

Amelia Bones stepped up behind Bella and cleared her throat. "Auror Black a word." Bella frowned not willing to leave Hermione alone. The girl was frightened and in no shape to be left to her own devices. "Auror?" Amelia pressed again, her tone slightly more severe.

"Don't leave this room Granger." Bella said before retreating slightly with Amelia, she contemplated putting wards up but Hermione seemed to make no move towards leaving. The brown haired girl merely stayed sitting on the ground looking at the floor and her hands. Silent tears dotted the mat beneath her.

"Bella-" Amelia started before spying her sister in law's hand. "Good Merlin did she attack you as well?"

"No, casualty of forcing a wand free of the owner's grasp. It will be fine in another hour or so." She said waving the orange hand slightly as if to dismiss the matter. "What's to be done with her? I won't arrest her." Bella added quickly before meeting Amelia's eyes.

"No- no arrest. Not this time at least however-" Amelia took a steadying breath, "Mandated soul mending with a qualified medi-healer and suspension."

"No." Bella said the first part sure but suspension, no, she wasn't having it.

"Excuse me?" Amelia said surprised by Bella's refusal. "Do you know the strings I had to pull to get even that?"

"No suspension it will stay on her record Amelia. She lost her temper; Weasley had it coming to him. He should have never been brought back in."

"I do not think that Auror Weasley had an attack coming Bella. It will be suspension and soul mending or it's her being fired. Look I know she's your partner and from what I've seen you've become quite, attached." Amelia chose her word carefully.

Bella glared at the final word, "My bedroom is my business."

"It is, but not when it clouds your judgment about what is best for the department." Amelia fired back; she chewed the inside of her cheek. They had a history, once upon a time before Andromeda had entered Amelia's life. "Please Bella, I care about Hermione, she and Susan-"

"Yeah I know." Bella said quietly, she remembered seeing Hermione when Amelia had to tell her that Susan had been found. The grief so raw that Bella had not understood the depth of it until Snape had been killed. "How long is the suspension?"

Amelia swallowed, "Two weeks."

She saw Bella straighten at the proposed time. "A week."

"This is not open to negotiations Bellatrix." Amelia said using Bella's full name always got her attention and earned her ire.

Bella scoffed and turned from Amelia, "Fine, I have holiday time coming. I might take a trip to Italy for a couple weeks."

"Fine a week." Amelia caved, the office needed Bella and she knew it.

"Good a week it is. Now if you'll excuse me I have to see to Auror Granger." And with that Bella dismissed her sister in law and went back into the training room to find Hermione still where she left her sitting on the floor.

"Come, lets get you home." She said holding out her hand to Hermione who took it weakly. A touch was all that was needed to feel Bella pull her along, she wanted to move in closer to Bella but couldn't in the swirling colours and the feeling of being pulled through a pipe.

The journey this time was the opposite of the night before, the lust, the kisses, the passionate love making. The pair stood in silence looking at one another, Hermione sad, Bella cautious.

"You're not arresting me?" Hermione said finally breaking the silence that had descended.

"No Pet." The gentle way Bella spoke made Hermione relax slightly in her stomach, Bella wasn't angry at her. "You have to go to a soul mender for a while, just to help you and-" She paused, "You've been suspended."

Hermione swallowed down the lump in her throat and nodded, she had expected at much. She was pleased with this outcome, she knew it could have been-should have been worse honestly. "Thank you." She said, the words hurt as her throat constricted a bit. "I'm sorry."

Bella sat on the couch for a moment and nodded. "You've nothing to be sorry about, except maybe that I am partnerless for a week." She stretched now and ran her fingers through her hair, "What in Merlin's name were you thinking Granger? If you have a problem with that ginger haired git you tell me about it, you don't just attack him."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak in defense but Bella held up her hand, "Do you know how much trouble you could have been in from that stupid spell? I know I know you don't know the spell you cast. I wiped it off your wand by the way. You're welcome." She said now peering at Hermione who was still standing where they landed.

"Thank you." Hermione said after a moment. Bella waved her hand to dismiss the words.

"So now Granger, what am I to do with no partner for a week and a bloody serial murderer on my hands?"

"I-" Hermione felt tears sting her eyes. "I'm sorry Bell- Auror Black." Her heart panged to address her so formally. "I didn't- I wasn't thinking when I curs-I wasn't thinking."

Bella stood and took Hermione's hand and pulled her close, a gasp of surprise sounded from Hermione and Bella smiled. "Just because you're not in the office doesn't mean we can't still work Pet." She leaned in and nuzzled against Hermione's ear. "Are you feeling better now?" The words were whispered with hot breath that sent a shiver down Hermione's spine.

She nodded and whispered that she did feel better. She was rewarded with soft kisses on her neck and fingers running slowly down her back. "Work is work." Bella said against her ear, "Home is home."


	11. Chapter 11

**Apologies for the long delay in updating this and Always. End of school terms are always hectic but yay nearly holiday :) Will be updating Always soon.**

* * *

Bella sat at her window seat holding tightly onto her cup of tea, the heat warming her fingers. She gazed over the street below her just beginning to come to life in muggle London. She rarely enjoyed the view from the front of her apartment, muggle London moved too fast, but in the mornings, just before it woke up fully; she sighed and leaned her head back. Magic. She had often sat here with Severus watching the street below in the early morning hours, he would tell her about his life in Spinner's End before he had gone to Hogwarts. She took a deep breath and finished the last dregs of her tea before slowly standing and leaving the street scene below. Weekends always went too fast. She grabbed her cloak, warded the flat and silently vanished, Nymphadora had already risen and left before Bella had even started her tea.

* * *

She saw it on her desk and felt a cold chill run up her spine. The black leather bound report, her name on the front. The inquiry into Snape's death was finished. She traced her finger over the engraved letters on the cover. She would have to read it; have to sign it with a blood quill. She glanced over; Nymphadora's copy lay untouched on opposite desk, the blood quill still sealed to the side. It was too early for a drink. She ran her hands over her face for a moment and picked up the leather book to move it to the side. She would read it later, as long as she had it done within the twenty-four hour time limit.

"Black- Oh, I see you have your copy." Dawlish said nodding at the report. His own copy tucked under his arm. "Most of the staff is in the briefing room or the library reading it over." He said sympathetically.

She said nothing as she folded her arms over her chest. "Did you need something?"

"Oh-no, sorry Black, just- well just wanted to make sure you had your copy. The new time limits on reports and all- some of us are going to the Cauldron and having a drink later, for Sev. We thought, well we all thought you'd want to come, give a few words or thoughts you know?"

She nodded and Dawlish excused himself to go read in the briefing room. She stared down at the black leather again and sighed before sitting down and opening a folder on the latest findings at Abigail's home.

* * *

The office was quiet without Hermione there, Bella felt herself glancing more than once or twice at the absent witch's desk. One by one the desks around her began to fill as Aurors finished reviewing the file and signed their name to it. Several stopped by her desk to offer a word or two, to squeeze her shoulder or to just 'check' something with an arbitrary question. Finally at noon Bella could fight it no longer and picked up the black leather file and retreated to a reading room. Her heart pounded as she unsealed the file, he was there, smiling up at her from the photograph.

It was nearly five when she finished, she had poured over every page, every photograph, made notes in the margin of each testimony and opinion. She forced herself to read her own account, the memory dancing before her like a muggle film.

 _'And then what happened Auror Black?" Amelia Bones asked looking across the table._

 _"We were betrayed, someone tipped them off. They knew we were coming. It, the moment we appeared it was like a warzone. There were so many of them on top of us at once, we were separated."_

 _"What do you mean you were betrayed?" Her cousin piped up, his black eyes matched her own, a look of worry on his face at the hint of betrayal._

 _"Someone knew we were coming. It was just a routine bring in, we were just following up a lead. We arrived and all hell broke out. We got separated and I was pinned down, Sev- Auror Snape saved my life."_

 _"Could it not be that you arrived in the middle of something previously happening rather than it being directed at the Ministry of Magic?" Amelia asked, her fingers tightening around her wand momentarily and then relaxing._

 _"No, the spells started when we arrived. It was quiet for a moment when we apparated in, got our bearings and the first spell flew. We took cover and then it was like a warzone. There were so many spells I honestly couldn't tell you how many of them there were."_

 _"From the reports and reviewing your wand you killed eight, there were no perps stunned; would that have been more appropriate to stun rather than kill?" The toad faced woman asked who had been quiet the entire debriefing. Bellatrix was grateful it was Amelia asking the majority of the questions._

 _Bellatrix looked over at Umbridge with a frown, "This was not a training exercise and these wizards were not aiming to stun madame. We used the force that we have been trained to use."_

Bella finished the report and signed the back page, she watched her own name appear on the back of her hand before it magically resealed. The filed glowed gold and then blue before disappearing. She sat for a moment before running her hands over her face and rubbing her itching eyes.

"Hi." Came the soft voice behind her, Bella tuned quickly to see the brown haired suspended Auror. Her heart quickened at the sight of the hazel eyes.

"How-"

"I had to turn this in." Hermione said quietly holding up an identical black leather file.

"Oh-yeah, did you read it?" Bella asked shifting slightly knowing the details that were in the report. "I mean, the whole thing?"

Hermione nodded as she pulled her blood quill off to sign the back slip of parchment. She didn't glance up until the file disappeared. "I didn't know him but- well he sounded really incredible."

"He was and a terrific cheat at cards." Bella said in a soft voice, her throat was tight. "A decent cook as well." Tears stung her eyes, "And a bloody fucking knight in shining armor since we were kids." She cleared her throat and swiped at her eyes dispelling the liquid.

Hermione joined Bella and the others for a drink, even Harry was there. The crowd of Aurors surrounded Bella and Tonks pounding them on the back and buying them rounds. Hermione stood quietly unsure of her place among them, Harry next to her before they found a table to occupy. After a few minutes a dark hair black eyed man joined the table and nodded at Hermione, she knew who he was from Harry and seeing him in the distance at the station when they were at school, but had never met him.

"Sirius Black." He said holding out a hand to her, "So so sorry for such a late introduction."

"Hermione Granger." She said shaking his hand before he brought it to his lips to press a kiss. He met her eyes; they were as black as Bella's. The resemblance was uncanny between them.

"I hear amazing things about you Ms. Granger though allow me to say some of your choices are a bit questionable." He followed this with a good natured laugh, "Though I have to say I've wanted to slam ole' Ron with a curse or two myself on school holidays. Merlin but that kid can eat you out of all the gold in Gringotts. Cousin." He called changing his attention from Hermione to Bella who had just joined the table. "I was just making the acquaintance of your new acquisition."

Bella's eyes narrowed at him and she shook her head, "You really are a dog." She said shoving him over and sitting beside him opposite of Hermione and Harry.

"Ah and how is my sweet Nymphadora?" Sirius asked looking over at Tonks in the middle of the crowd still being wooed with drinks and rowdy tales.

"Good and bad days." Bella said quietly in the din of drinkers.

A quietness descended on their table for several minutes, each occupant lost in their own heads unsure of where to head next when a loud bang from the bar pulled their attention.

"What the-" Sirius said exiting the booth and moving over to the wizard now laying flat on his back out cold.

"Said something in favour of those flea bitten werewolves, reckon he is one." Said Dawlish turning his back on the man who was laying on the floor to finish his drink.

"I think you've had enough to drink mate." Sirius said putting a hand on his shoulder to which Dawlish shook it off. "We all lost Severus."

"Yeah cause of them ain't it and now they've gone and done their shite again."

The patrons went quiet now, Bella stood up, the details of Abigail and her family was not known publically yet. "Dawlish, come on." Her voice held a warning. "We're celebrating Severus hey."

"Wipe 'em out Black. Wipe 'em out. They all deserve to die their whole bleedin' species." Dawlish began in a roar as Sirius grabbed his arm.

"Come on mate, we'll head over to mine. I have some good stuff there we can continue this conversation." Sirius patted Dawlish and pulled him sloppily from the bar to get him into the garden.

Hermione saw Tonks' face as she watched them go, she looked afraid and turned to a man who had just entered the pub and was whispering furiously. The noise of the pub returned even louder as Bella headed over to the pair looking agitated, she physically put her body between Tonks and the stranger. The man, who looked sickly, frowned at Bella before shaking his head and leaving the pub. Tonks made to follow him but was restrained by Bella's hand on her arm. Hermione couldn't make out the words but she could see how angry Tonks was now, she watched as Bella grabbed Tonks' other arm and squeezed slightly, her own anger matching Tonks'. She continued to watch fascinated by the pair as Bella leaned in whispering against Tonks' ear as the younger witch shook her head trying to pull away. The place where Bella held her looked painful as she jerked Tonks to pull her closer. Finally Tonks succeeded in pulling away before storming out of the pub leaving Bellatrix looking murderous. It took a moment for Bella to calm herself before coming back to the table; she slammed her glass down and grabbed Hermione's hand pulling her from the booth. She followed silently as Bella led her outside and apparated her away into the night.


	12. Chapter 12

They landed in silence; Hermione looked around with a frown at their surroundings. It appeared to be an abandoned warehouse area in a vacant factory block on the outskirts of Manchester.

"What is this place?" Hermione asked, this was not what she had expected when Bellatrix had grabbed her hand to apparate them away from the pub.

"Field training." Bella said looking over her shoulder as Hermione followed her gaze to Ron and Harry having just arrived with two Aurors that Hermione didn't really know that well.

"Wh-what?" she asked now very confused, she was suspended, how could she be field training? "But I thought-"

"You're still suspended Granger but that doesn't mean you are skipping out on training, just means you're not in the office for the week. Alright you two?" She asked nodding towards the Aurors, Ron thought she meant him and he started to answer, he immediately shut up when she raised an eyebrow. He didn't look at Hermione; he had just been released that afternoon and refused to answer her apologies sent by owl.

"Right then, you three." Bella said turning her attention to the small group, "Just waiting on Longbottom now." Almost as if on cue he appeared with a still very angry looking Tonks. "Good, now we're all here." Tonks pulled a fag out of her robes and lit it with her wand tip, her hair was purple and spiked, though she was still obviously pissed at Bella she held out the fag to the Auror who took it and dragged slowly appraising the four aurors in front of her before handing it back.

"Tonight begins the hardest three weeks of your life." Bella said with a straight face, "Auror training in theory is easy, Auror training in the field, well…let's just say that some of you won't be making it out of the office anytime soon to work on anything more than flesh eating slugs."

Tonks stepped forward now, "The goal of this activity is to work as a team to make it through to the center of the factory block. All of you must make it through or all of you will fail. If one of you is disqualified, your entire team goes back to the beginning. If any of you get hit more than three times by any Auror or once by Auror Black, your entire team goes back to the beginning. If any of your fail to throw off either Imperious or Crucio, your entire team goes back to the beginning."

"But we haven't-" Ron started to say but went quiet from Bella's stare.

"Can I ask what you've been doing in the training facility with your Auror for the last few weeks? Still on the Imperious?" Bella asked taking Tonks' fag again and shaking her head. "Oh I fear we'll be here until dawn with this lot."

"How many people are here?" Hermione asked looking around at the vastness now of the empty factory block.

"Not just people Granger; we've managed a few surprises here and there." Bella said taking out her wand. "When you reach the checkpoint you will get to rest. Checkpoints are marked in red. The center of the factory block is marked in purple. There will be Aurors there waiting to verify your entire team has made it through the training."

"Wands at the ready." Tonks said stepping away from the group, "You're starting point is just over there. See you soon." And with that all the Aurors vanished into thin air leaving the four trainees looking at once another.

"So, to the starting point then?" Hermione said pulling her cloak up tightly around her shoulders.

"Anyone else thinking we could really use Potter's invisibility cloak right about now?" Neville asked as they walked to the starting mark.

"We can't all fit under it mate." Ron said looking up over low barrel they were standing by. "Still element of surprise is the right idea you can be sure they are going to slam us the moment we set foot beyond that line."

Hermione chewed her thumb nail, "What's our plan?"

"Plan? We have no plan we just got pulled out of bar and into Manchester. Glad I didn't have that last drink." Harry said with a sigh, "But you're right, we can't go out there without a plan.

"We need the element of surprise; disillusionment spells I think might do it. Silencing spells on our feet, blending into the walls of the buildings." Hermione suggested, they boys nodded.

"Stay low to the ground," Neville added, "They can't hit us if they aim too high or can't see us."

"Right." Ron said now looking at Hermione. "Go on then, you're the best at disillusionment spells."

Hermione tapped each boys head and then her own, they blended almost seamlessly into the brick of the buildings, you wouldn't know they were there unless your watched for the outline. "Right, move slowly and only fire if you have to. Once we fire they will know our location and our spell and finite it." They all whispered in agreement, Hermione went out in front slowly keeping hunched down and against the wall of the factory to her left. The night was silent except for breathing, their footsteps silenced from the spell as they moved forward together. They made it to the edge of the second building before all hell broke loose on them.

Crucio hit Hermione in the back as she fell to the ground screaming, her spell broken over herself the moment Crucio hit her. Neville was the next to fall followed by Harry, Ron ducked behind a pallet of wood and tried to see who had cast the spell. It had happened so fast, he saw a flash of red again coming from Hermione's wand as she crawled towards the pallet.

"Back to the start." Bella said appearing in front of the four, the two boys lay still panting on the ground. "Try not to breathe so loudly you sound like a damn herd of bloody rhinos." And with that she vanished leaving the group to go back to the start.

The second round the group did not even make it as far as the end of the first building when Tonks slammed them with stunners. The night wore on into the wee hours of the morning before the team made it to their first checkpoint. When they arrived Hermione was nursing several burns and a nasty cut on her arm, Neville's hand looked suspiciously like it had been broken and Ron was sporting a black eye and a bleeding nose. Harry seemed to be the best of the lot with just singed eyebrows and a burn down his chest.

"Congratulations." Bellatrix said appearing at the checkpoint, "That was by far the worst beginning to a training exercise I have ever seen. I believe this is a new department record. Five hours to get to the checkpoint." She sighed, "Tell me is this a game to you?"

The exhausted group could barely speak, Hermione shook her head. She was filthy, dirt smeared her face, her arm ached almost as much as her burns. "No." She said, her chest heaving slightly.

"Ginger-nuts, is this a joke to you?" She asked looking at Ron who was trying to stop the blood flow on his nose.

"No."

"Do you lot want to give up?" Bella asked twirling her wand, "Because the only Auror I see here tonight worth my spit is Longbottom. Get yourselves cleaned up and get to bed, I expect to see you in the office at seven. Granger, I expect you to be in the training room." With that Bella twisted and was gone leaving the broken battered group of Aurors behind.

* * *

Hermione woke up in her apartment; her entire body ached from head to toe. The burns and her cut had healed in the night but the soreness of her muscles would take a bit of stretching and warming up before they eased a little. She looked at herself in the mirror, the clock by the bed read six; four hours of sleep. She rubbed her face and then fell asleep standing up in the shower. She was almost late when she realised her mistake. She threw on some workout clothes, grabbed her wand and headed out the door; she couldn't be late to the training room.

Bella was there already with a coffee waiting for Hermione when she stepped into the room. "Morning." She said with a smile, how was it possible she looked well rested and refreshed. "How are you this feeling?" She asked, she kept moving slightly to keep her muscles warm.

"My whole body hurts." Hermione confessed as she let the hot coffee seep into her body slowly.

"Second night is the hardest." Bella said watching Hermione enjoy the coffee.

"Is it?" Hermione asked wearily.

Bella smirked, "You'll see tonight. Ready?" She moved to the centre of the mat and waited. "Let's start with shields and stunners. If you get stunned three times, I win, if I get stunned three times, you win."

Hermione smiled, "What do I win?"

"I don't know, nobody has ever beaten me before." And with that a red jet of light flew from Bella's wand. Hermione drew to her left and managed to get out of the way and send one back that was easily flicked away without so much as a motion from Bella's wand. Hermione was so distracted in that moment by Bella's lack of movement that she didn't see Tonks behind her send a stunner that sent her flying into the matted floor.

* * *

Bella stood over the four Aurors with a sigh, "It's like you're not even trying? Are you trying because from where I am standing you four look like a bunch of first year muggle-borns smashing into the barrier at platform 9 ¾ . Do it again and get to the next checkpoint or we'll be here until dawn."

As luck would have it they were not there until dawn though it was close. The band of training aurors managed the second checkpoint by four in the morning. They fell over the line together exhausted, Hermione was near tears and Ron was vomiting into a rubbish bin. Neville however looked worse for wear that night having earned several hexes and curses through the course of the evening.

"Alright, see you all at seven. Granger, a word." She added as the group groaned and Ron vomited again. Bella retreated from the group with Hermione. "Are you alright?" She checked Hermione over and saw cuts and burns and a nasty looking swelling on her forehead.

"Just exhausted, how- I-" She was too tired to think.

"Come." Bella said taking her hand and disapparating with her. They arrived in Bella's house and Hermione felt a soft kiss press to her lips. "Let's get you cleaned up and to bed." She led Hermione to the bath, the girl fell asleep three times while Bella bathed her and healed her. "Lets get you warm and in bed yes?" She said pressing a kiss to the now healed spot that had been swollen. Hermione sank into the softness of the bed, the words thank you fell from her lips and she was asleep.

Bella walked over to her mantle and twisted the time turner back 12 clicks before curling up behind Hermione and darkening the room.


	13. Chapter 13

By the end of the fourth night they crossed into the centre of the factory block as a team. They were cut, battered and exhausted. They were elated as they cheered in their weariness using their last bit of strength to pat each other on the back.

"Alright, gather up your things and meet your partner at the apparition point. Round two begins in ten minutes." Bella said walking away from the now silent, stunned group.

"Round two?" Harry whispered in disbelief. "Now?"

Hermione sipped some water and then drank a pepperup potion that had been left for them at the centre. Ron had been about to eat a donut but thought better of it and ate a protein bar. They all gathered their supplies and headed to the apparition spot.

"Alright there Ginger-nuts?" Bella asked, she had taken a liking to the new nickname for Ron and now the entire Auror department was calling him Auror Ginger-Nuts.

Ron was surprised she was speaking to him and he nodded, "Bit tired." He smiled.

The gathered group of Aurors laughed, "He's tired." Bella repeated him to even harder laughter.

"Oh Ginger-Nuts you don't even know what tired is yet." Dawlish said slapping him on the back. "Still you'll get more rest than round three."

"Round two-" Tonks began when Dawlish had stopped teasing Ron, "Is broken into three parts over the week. Negotiation, Resistance and Escape. It is not necessary for your entire team to be intact to move on though it is preferred. Ginger-Nuts will be team leader for the Negotiation section."

Everyone, except the senior Aurors, looked surprised. Why Ron? Hermione looked questioningly at Bella who did not meet her eyes. How could Ron be the team leader, this wasn't fair, sure she had been suspended but that was over tomorrow. She was the first over the line into the centre; she had led the entire group the whole week to finishing round one.

"Ginger-Nuts, order your group." Tonks said leaning against the wall slightly.

"Um-ok team uh, go-go get some rest and- we'll see you tomorrow." Ron said unsure of himself. Bella rolled her eyes while the rest of the Aurors rocked with laughter.

"He's a real winner. Put your team in order you witless wonder so we know who is going first into the next round." Bella said shaking her head. "Come on seriously who did you paid off to get into this program?"

Ron turned as red as his hair and cleared his throat, "Uh, Hermione, Neville, Harry then me." He said as if he had the plan in his mind all along. There was no way he was going into this thing first, he'd put Hermione in first as a bit of pay back for the attack in the briefing room, besides she was his biggest threat.

"You heard Ginger-Nuts, let's go." Bella said gesturing to Hermione with an open arm. "The rest of you, we'll meet you at the next location in a few minutes."

The rest of the group apparated out, Hermione stared at the ground; she would have picked herself to go first if she had been team leader. Bella rubbed her arms up and down slowly against the chill of the early morning hours.

"I wouldn't stress about not being chosen to be team leader." Bella said still rubbing Hermione's arms. "It's not a distinction you want; we always pick the weakest one to lead round two."

Hermione looked up at her confused, "But, why?"

"You'll see." She winked, before pressing her mouth to Hermione's. "It will be done soon Pet." Hermione kissed her back despite her slight exhaustion. "He did you a favour picking you first." She stepped back now and picked up Hermione's bag. "See you in a few minutes." Hermione took the offered bag and watched it glow, Bella had turned it into a portkey, her last image of Bella was a blow kiss and another wink.

* * *

She managed to keep her balance on impact, her wand in hand she immediately took in her surroundings. She had portkeyed into a decrepit old house, you could see it had once been a splendid manor but years of neglect had turned it into a crumbling ruin. She could hear mice or rats scurrying overhead and saw a slight movement from the corner. Her shield went up instantly and she waited licking her lips slightly as she moved behind a chair. The soft glow of her shield revealed a bird who had apparently made a home in the corner of the sitting room. She had startled it slightly with her arrival. She swallowed, where were the others? Dust fell lightly from overhead as she heard distinct footsteps. She took a step not lowering her shield.

"I wouldn't." Came a raspy voice from the corner. Hermione nearly dropped her wand in shock from the words, she hadn't seen anyone in the room when she had come in. "They're hungry, might fancy a little morsel like you." She could not see the face that belonged to the voice, she shivered, that raspy voice sounded like the first werewolf she encountered with Bella. A fire lit in the grate behind Hermione casting an orange glow in the room. She gasped, against the opposite side to her stood three werewolves, smiles on their faces. "My my you do look tasty." She could see their faces clearly now, two men and a woman, their eyes flashed dangerously. She never understood the werewolves that stayed in partial transformation and refused to live in the wizard world. She knew there were prejudices but to stay in that state of constant pain. The smallest one, the female ran a long filthy nail along the biggest one's arm.

"Wh-where are the others?" Hermione asked nervously, she could take down one of them, but three. Her heart hammered in her chest; she could feel the anti-apparition spell on the room when she tried to focus on leaving the place, the slight shifting glimmer above her confirmed it.

"Others?" Asked the girl with a frown, "Upstairs, oh you don't want to meet them. They don't know you're here." She laughed quietly; it made Hermione's skin crawl.

The first part of round two was negotiations, were the Aurors watching her negotiate out of this? She glanced around the room again. "What do you want?" Hermione asked pretending to be braver than she felt.

The female tilted her head slightly as if trying to catch her meaning. "To eat you." She took a step closer, "Or turn you, I haven't decided yet."

Hermione swallowed hard again, "If you come closer I will stun you."

The three beasts laughed, "Don't threaten us little witchling" Stated the biggest, "I think you'll find we'll move faster than your spell."

"Please don't. I don't want to hurt you." Hermione said fighting the urge to step back from the advancing werewolves. She felt almost outside of herself as she saw the quietest one move towards her first. The spell barely left her lips, the force of it hitting the werewolf straight in the chest blowing him back into the female. The largest one lunged at her; she dodged him and stumbled over a side table. The sounds caused whoever was upstairs to move swiftly overhead like a herd of elephants. The biggest werewolf was still lumbering from missing Hermione and hitting into the wall when the female grasped Hermione's leg, her fingernails dug in tearing her flesh. "PLEASE STOP!" Hermione screamed pulling away and seeing blood. She slashed across the girl and then everything went in slow motion. She could see white and black smoke descending around her. Jets of lights, screams, fire, hands moving her along, pushing her away from the room. Her leg ached and her pants felt wet where the blood had soaked through.

"Keep moving." The voice hissed in her ear, Tonks had an iron grip on her forearm digging into her flesh. She pulled Hermione down one hallway and then another trying to find the exit, the house felt like a labyrinth of corridors until finally they made it up a set of stairs. Hermione could hear the screams and howls below them as they burst through a door and onto the steps of the manor. The sun was just coming up as the wind howled loudly around them. "Don't stop." Tonks said still pulling her along not seeming to notice Hermione's injury. They went out the gates and Hermione felt Tonks twist on the spot taking them into the swirls of colour that meant apparaition.

* * *

"What the actual bloody fuck Sirius?" Bella shouted "You said no danger, none." Her chest heaved. "You said they agreed."

"They did agree Bells, besides she handled herself like a true Auror." Sirius said seemingly unconcerned with the training practice that had just gone terribly wrong. "Besides, the werewolves who agreed were not the ones who tried to harm her. Don't let your feelings for the girl cloud your mind, it was a brilliant training exercise and one that she passed with flying colours not to mention she's going to have a bloody great tale from this to tell at the pub."

"I know how to keep my feelings in check cousin." Bella said ignoring the rest of Sirius' statement.

"The way I see it your partner finished up the training for this week in a single night. She negotiated, resisted and then escaped. Now what I have to explain to our allies who agreed to this exercise is why three of theirs are dead." Sirius said standing up and stretching, "Not too difficult seeing as how two of them were wanted so it was really a favour in the end."

Bella rubbed over her eyes and then glared at her cousin's retreat from the room.

Bella scratched at her neck, the tattooed number had changed from 93 to 95. Hermione's neck now sported her runes and the number 1.


	14. Chapter 14

Hermione woke and stretched slowly, every muscle ached; she opened her eyes slowly and spied the black curly hair on the pillow next to her. Her leg felt like it was on fire, her neck itched and her eyes felt too dry. "Bella?" She croaked in a rough voice trying to reach for water on the nightstand, it soothed her as the body next to her stirred and then stilled. A muffled 'mmmm' came from the pillow but the woman did not lift her head.

"What time is it?" Hermione asked, her wand was not next to her and the curtains were drawn closed.

"I expect it's early." The sleepy voice replied still not moving. "Sleep." She said in a gentle voice, her fingers moved across the blanket to wrap with Hermione's.

"I can't sleep anymore." Hermione said sitting up slightly and pressing a kiss into Bella's hair. "I'm going to go read, you sleep." The curls nodded and Hermione moved her way slowly and painfully out of the bed and into the living room to read. Hermione sat on the couch and examined her leg, long angry gashes marked the skin there. The skin that covered the damage was sensitive to the touch, the healers had explained the scars would be minimal. She looked at herself in the mirror, the itchy spot on her neck showed the tattoo. Her kill count, she had noted Bella's their first day together; the Auror's kill count among the highest in the department. She had seen the number had changed from 93 to 95. She slowly fingered the tattoo and runes, she had killed a werewolf; it had been easy, the spell had left her lips before she could even think it. She saw the green light leaving her wand, the rage as she screamed the curse. She raised from the couch now and stepped closer to the mirror looking again at her tattoo. Deep inside her mind she realised she liked it, she liked the reason behind the mark on her neck.

"It looks good on you." Bella said from the doorway a few moments later as Hermione had still been standing and looking at it.

Hermione felt her cheeks burn slightly as Bella approached her, her lips touched gently on the mark. "You'll remember every single one, not just this one." She said pressing another kiss, the hairs on Hermione's arms stood at the whisper of the kiss from Bella.

"Does the mark every fade?" Hermione asked, her hands resting on Bella's hips, her thumbs playing with the waist band of her sleep pants.

"Never." Bella replied enjoying the feel of Hermione's fingers playing against her hips. "It feels good doesn't it? Deep down?" Hermione's hands slipped inside Bella's pants; the dark haired witch let out a soft breath. "You like it?" She asked, Hermione did not answer the hazel eyes met Bella's black ones. "I can see you do." Hermione's fingers tightened slightly against Bella's curves. "There's no shame in it. I love it." Bella whispered, her mouth sucked gently on the new tattoo, her own hands began to mirror Hermione's touches. "The power that moves through you; it makes you almost drunk doesn't it?" Bella said her hand brushed between Hermione's legs. "The anger and lust after you finish. I know that feeling." It was Hermione's turn to moan now as Bella moved her shirt up and Hermione helped her pull it off.

For a moment the dark eyes drank Hermione in as she now moved to removed Hermione's shirt, the long fingers making quick work of the buttons and the soft fabric fell soundlessly at their feet. Hermione laid her fingers over Bella's to pause the movements to untie the sleep pants and have them join the top on the floor.

"Let me." Hermione whispered, again their eyes met and Bella smiled like a hungry wolf capturing her prey.

"For a little while." Bella replied teasingly as she allowed Hermione to undress her and push her towards the couch. The lust that took over was one that Bella knew very well, as did Tonks and had Severus. When Hermione had satisfied her lust Bella took a deep breath and pulled Hermione from the couch. "My turn little auror."

They had made love several times in the weeks they had been together but this; it was like nothing Hermione had ever experienced before. Bella had her legs and arms bound to the bed and a knife in her hand sliding it slowly along Hermione's stomach. "Can I cut you Pet?" Bella whispered breathlessly against the taut muscles that danced over the chill of the silver blade.

"Yes." Hermione whispered arching her back to keep in contact with the blade. "Yes, please."

Bella licked her lips and turned the knife dragging it along her collarbone and down her arm, "Shall I mark you as mine?" The words sounded like honey rolling off her tongue, "Hermione." Again the way she said Hermione's name made the younger witch nearly go out of her mind to promise her anything. "Are you mine?" The question hung there for a heartbeat and then another, the cold silver pressed against the flesh. "I can't mark you unless you say you're mine Pet." She cooed to the soft whimpers of the witch. "So that's a yes then?" The girl nodded and Bella grinned again, the blade pierced gently against Hermione's arm, a soft trail of scarlet as Hermione hissed.

The blade was so sharp it needed only a little pressure to cut into the olive skin. "So beautiful." Bella whispered, her tongue brushed against the drops of ruby before it could fall to the bed. The delicate intricate patterns drawn by the knife left a scarlet trail as Bella moved it from Hermione's arm to her stomach. She then began moving the blade along Hermione's thighs, her brows knitted in concentration as she matched the pattern on each side. When she had completed it she lay the knife on the night stand and kissed along the pricks of blood. Every kiss drew Hermione deeper and deeper into the swells of pleasure until finally she was begging Bella to finish, to take her or release her. The raven haired beauty laughed and it echoed in the room. "I will take you when it pleases me little witch." She said pushing Hermione's heartbeat into a panicked rhythm. "But I will take you soon enough my love." She reached over to retrieve a potion from her nightstand, an oil of some kind that she rubbed into her hands. The cuts from the knife were burning hotter on Hermione's skin before the first touch of Bella's fingers with the oil touch her. Immediately the patterns soothed with a coolness and Bella's mouth followed the touches.

After Bella had soothed each cut she bit down harshly onto the tattoo and at the same time entered Hermione with three fingers causing the witch to cry out painfully and buck up from the bed. Bella did not slow her pace as she moved with no mercy, Hermione's eyes screwed shut against the feeling of having her virginity taken all over again. "Bella." She cried out painfully as the beautiful black eyed witch left her lover's chest and crashed her lips against Hermione's. After a moment the pain stopped and Hermione relaxed into the unforgiving thrusts of Bella's fingers. She had never had Bella make to love to her like this, no, this wasn't love making this was fucking. Not even their first night together had been like this. This was blood lust fucking, it was incredible. Hermione could barely catch her breath before Bella was on her again pulling at her hair and biting into her skin. In the end Hermione screamed the witch's name in a hoarse voice that left them both laying and panting in exhaustion on the bed. Bella waved her hand and the ties that had bound Hermione for the last two hours released. Tears stung her eyes again and suddenly for the first time since their relationship had begun Hermione felt vulnerable after their sex had ended.

She started to speak but she didn't have to, Bella was giving her water, rubbing her wrists and pressing soft kisses against the bruises. Little soft words punctuated the kisses as she found Hermione's mouth; her lips bruised from the harsh kisses earlier were now given gentle swollen kisses. Each touch, each kiss and caress soothed every mark and ache in Hermione's body.

* * *

"Negotiation, tonight we are going to practice your negotiation skills. It is up to you and your skills if your partner makes it or not. So for a demonstration let's have Ginger-nuts and Potter. Potter you're the hostage, Ginger-nuts you're the negotiator; everyone else, you're taking notes."

Hermione sat with Tonks, Neville and the other aurors. Bella approached Potter and held him in front of her. "Alright Ginger-nuts, I'm listening, save Potter's life."

Ron stood there dumbfounded as Bella held her wand against Potter's neck while a shield charm effortlessly stood between them.

"How-how are you doing that?" Ron asked uncertain at the shield charm that was up.

The watching team shifted slightly but said nothing. Bella did not answer she simply hit Harry with a stunning spell and declared him dead. "You failed and Potter is dead." She shook her head, "I swear Ginger-nuts if I ever have an assignment with you I'll retire." There were chuckles from the waiting group of aurors. "Thoughts?" She asked looking at the group.

Hermione swallowed, "He wasn't concentrating. He- well he got distracted by your magic and you got irritated and killed the hostage."

Bella nodded, "Did you hear that Ginger-nuts don't piss off the person holding the hostage. Try it again." She revived Harry and pulled him up dusting him off. "Let's try to keep Potter alive this time around."

Ron had three more tries and each one ended in Harry's 'death'. Bellatrix shook her head, "Granger, up here." Hermione rose and joined them, "Potter go sit and eat something, good job." She said as he walked in a slight daze from being stunned four times in a row. "Now Granger, you're the negotiator and Ginger-nuts here is the hostage."

Hermione took the ready position and Bella pulled Ron against her like she had done with Harry.

"I'm here, you told my boss you wanted to talk." Hermione began, her wand was in her hand but it was deceptively relaxed at her side. However anyone who knew auror training would know that Hermione's wand was at the ready in less than a second.

"I don't want you I want your boss." Bella said, her grip tightened on Ron. Hermione was pleased to not have killed Ron in the first few seconds.

"I'm the person who can get you what you want." Hermione said, her fingers still relaxed as she watched Bella tighten her hold on Ron but let the shield down.

"Pause." She called and Hermione relaxed as Bella looked at the waiting group. "Longbottom, what has Granger done that Ginger-nuts didn't."

"She addressed you and didn't show her wand as a threat. I mean it was there but she didn't brandish it around. She didn't threaten you." Longbottom called out with Tonks nodding.

"If she had come in demanding you speak or brandishing the wand he would be dead." Tonks called, she loved negotiation training.

"Good, and start up." She said turning back to Hermione and holding Ron, her shield did not go back up.

Hermione's mind went blank for a second before she remembered what to say, "Let's work on this together, what can we-" She saw Bella's smirk as she stunned Ron.

"Fuck!" Hermione called out and nearly stamped her foot.

Bella roared with laughter before stunning Hermione, "Now you're both dead. Oh Merlin this is going to be a long night." She revived them both and pulled Hermione up, she winked at her as her back was to the group so they couldn't see. "Try it again and this time, don't make it like we're buddies, I don't trust you yet."

By Hermione's third attempt she had managed to get Ron away from Bellatrix and stun her. Neville got it on his first attempt with Hermione as the hostage. Bella called Tonks over and had a quick discussion with her niece. She called Neville up to negotiate with two other aurors watching and not speaking to anyone in the group. Harry wasn't even given a chance that night to try to negotiate with anyone as the hostage. She called Hermione up twice more with the other aurors; she managed on her first round with both now. Tonks and Bella nodded and then retreated with the senior aurors for a talk; the trainees glanced over several times. Bella was frowning and Tonks was grinning when Amelia Bones joined them. The head auror was there as well looking at the small group huddled together. They watched Neville, Hermione and then Ron negotiate. Their faces gave nothing away, they simply nodded at Bella and left.

"Longbottom." Bella called holding out her hand to pull him into the knot of aurors. "Congratulations you're going to be filtered into negotiations. Well done." She patted him on the back, Tonks was beaming and pounding him on the back.

"Does that-does that mean I'm not with Tonks anymore?" Neville asked looking up at the pink haired witch who smiled at him.

"Of course you are still working with me, just means we're in specialized training now; we're not part of this training." She explained still grinning. "Lots of travel and we have to learn a few new languages but I think we're both up for it."


	15. Chapter 15

"Escape," Bella said the following night, "when there is no other option, escape is how you stay alive. You try to stay together but ultimately if you can't save your team; you get yourself out."

"I thought no man is left behind." Ron said looking confused at Bella.

"What the bloody fuck do you think this is a film Ginger-nuts? You get your stupid ass out of a tight situation and if you're lucky you get your team out as well. You don't go down with the ship, you don't stay behind and get killed." Bella drew a breath, one more week with this idiot and she can fire him. There was no way he was going to lead a successful investigation next week.

"But we're family and all that…" Ron trailed off to Bella's scowl.

"Ginger-nuts if we were family I'd curse myself to never reproduce." The giggles were audible in the group but were immediately silenced with the raise of Bella's eyebrow. "Now, escape, Granger has already succeeded in escaping from a real situation that ended in three dead." There were calls and howls of praise from the senior aurors. Hermione felt her face go red.

"But you and Tonks-"

"Assessed the situation and went in. Granger did not knowingly go into a dangerous situation and we were responsible. However, that being said, Granger handled herself like any good auror and kept her cool." The group howled and cheered again and Bella silenced them with a wave of her hand. "I have a feeling auror Granger isn't going to be purchasing her own pints anytime soon." There were smiles all around and Hermione felt her face burning once more. She wished they wouldn't fuss over it.

"Now, the three of you will be going in and hopefully we'll see the three of you coming out." Bella said nodding to the three boys. "The rooms are warded to prevent any damage to yourselves or others."

"Isn't Hermione coming?" Harry asked surprised.

"No, Auror Granger is not accompanying you, she's already proven herself able to escape a tight situation." Bella said answering his question.

"But that's not fair." Ron said shaking his head.

Bella closed her eyes to his words praying to Merlin for patience with this prat. "Auror Weasel-" She began but felt Hermione touch her arm.

"It's fine, I don't mind going in it's just extra practice for me." She said with a smile. "It's fine really." She repeated and Bella nodded taking a breath and glaring at Weasley.

Tonks paired them off, Hermione with Ron and Harry with Neville. "Alright, first pair out wins."

"What if only one of us comes out?" Ron asked watching the interaction between Bella and Hermione.

"Then you win alone." Tonks said frowning. "Try to bring your partner out."

Hermione and Ron were portkeyed to the location. From her last trip with the portkey Hermione's wand was out and her shield was up as she landed. They looked around the room; it was empty except for a table and chairs. There was a high window and a door that was obviously locked.

"Now what?" Ron asked trying to door and then moving the table to the wall under the window.

"We get out." Hermione said watching him place a chair on the table.

"Well, see if you can reach the window." Ron said patting the chair.

"Me? I'm not climbing up on that." Hermione said letting down her shield as she began to scan the walls for concealment charms.

"Come on 'Mione you're smaller than me and the chair will hold your weight. Just see if you can reach the window and get it open."

She sighed but climbed onto the table, it was better to go with Ron's stupid ideas than argue. They wanted to be the first team out of there. "It won't open Ron that's too easy." She said now on the chair and bracing against the wall. She pushed the window and it didn't budge. "Sealed tight." She said with a sigh before climbing back down. "Now can we use some magic to see what is going on?" She tapped the wall and looked again for the telltale signs of hidden chambers.

"Did you try to unlock the door?" Ron asked doing a quick simple spell.

Hermione rolled her eyes, fuck he was stupid sometimes. "Here." She said seeing the golden thread along the baseboard. She followed it with her wand to reveal a trap door and a handle. "Let's see where it goes." She said once she had yanked it open to a blast of cool air and a dank musty smell.

"Do you think there will be spiders down here?" Ron said hesitating.

"Yes Ronald I do, hide behind me and I won't let them get you." She said in a kind tone, she knew of his paralyzing fear.

"What's going on with you and Black anyway?" Ron asked as they descended the stairs quietly.

"What do you mean?" Hermione feigned innocence.

"Oh come off it Hermione, everyone can see she practically eye fucks you in every meeting."

She scoffed and shook her head, "What do you know about eye fucking?" She asked hesitating over the idea of the looks Bella gave her. Ron was wrong Bella didn't look at her that way; they just looked at each other.

"I know the way Black looks at you Hermione, just be careful around her; she's-" He stopped talking and Hermione held up her hand, she had heard it too. Deep in the passageway they could hear footsteps.

"Do you think it is Harry and Neville?" Ron asked hopefully.

"I don't know." Hermione cast a concealment charm on the two of them as they silenced their own steps. "Just, don't talk." She whispered keeping her body pushed against the wall as tightly as she could. The footsteps had paused and then began again only now they grew louder.

"I heard them, talkin' and that." Came a male voice, Dawlish was speaking. Hermione pulled Ron back quickly from calling out to the Auror.

"Black's gonna flay that Ginger." Came the other voice neither recognized.

"Nah, I recokin' she'll keep him around to release all her tension on." Dawlish spoke as the ends of their wands lit up near where Hermione had concealed herself and Ron.

"Mate she's got that hot bird Granger for that. Never seen Black move so quickly to bed a trainee in my life, scared her niece was going to beat her to it." They both laughed and walked past where Ron and Hermione were. "Wouldn't mind a piece of that ass myself." Came the strange voice again. Hermione had to physically restrain Ron. "I bet Black makes that minx moan every night."

"Come on mate we need to find these two, I've got a hot number to bed myself if we get out of here early enough."

Ron and Hermione waited to move until Dawlish and the unknown man moved away so their footsteps were just a whisper before moving away from their hiding spot.

"What the hell Hermione-" Ron was furious, the concealment charm having worn off and revealing a look of pure rage on his face.

"Just don't right now we have to get out of here." Hermione said blushing slightly and pulling him along after in the direction that Dawlish and the man had just come from. Ron continued trying to bring it up and Hermione continued to ignore his pestering questions about her bedroom adventures. As they neared the end of the tunnel Ron refused to go on until Hermione answered him.

"Are you crazy come on we're nearly there and I'm tired." Hermione said with a sigh.

"Answer the question Hermione are you sleeping with Black?" Ron said his voice raising.

Hermione scowled at him, "What I do in my bedroom is my business Ron."

"So it's true, you're fucking her?"

Hermione spun on the spot, her wand level with his chest. "Shut up so we can get out of here together or so help me I will stun you and escape myself." He shut up after her threat and followed along in stony silence. They were the last pair out of the room; they had taken thirty minutes longer than Harry and Neville.

"Nice of your team to finally join us." Black said sitting and sipping a cup of tea with Neville and Harry. Tonks was tucking into a piece of cake. "We'd offer you some but-well you lost." She chuckled slightly before seeing the look of thunder on Hermione's face. She sat down the teacup and looked from Hermione to Ron. "I have a feeling that victory would have been yours without Ginger-nuts?" She inquired, "The use of the concealment charm was inspired as was your search for the concealment charm." She said reaching out her hand for Hermione's wand and looking through the spells, she then did the same to Ron's. "I see no spells from Ginger-nuts which gives me the conclusion that had Granger not been with you, we'd all still be sat here waiting on you to figure out that you can't open the door or climb out a window."

Ron chewed the inside of his cheek, "Yeah well at least I would have done it honestly."

Hermione looked shocked while Bella and Tonks frowned. "Are you stating that Auror Granger has been cheating?" Tonks asked her hand under the table to stay Bella from thrashing the red-head.

"Tread carefully boy-" Bella said contemptuously, "That's my partner you're insulting."

"Yeah your lover more like." Ron said not regretting it and enjoying the look of shock on Harry and Neville's faces.

"Are you lodging a complaint against Auror Granger or not?" Bella asked calmer now that she knew the cause of his ire. She sipped her tea and looked at him waiting on his answer.

"I-you-you're sleeping with her." Ron said again waiting for someone to step in and do something.

"Yes that has been established Ginger-nuts, in fact that was established weeks ago with my bosses when it happened. So, are you lodging a complaint around Auror Granger or not?"

Hermione didn't look at Harry or Neville, while they had recovered from their shock they still stared at her as if they didn't know her at all.

"No-I-" Ron faltered.

"No? Good, then here you go, back into the trial and this time no Granger you're on your own." She said tossing him an orange that glowed blue and flashed him away. "Oh dear, he forgot his wand." Bella said laughing and throwing it down onto the table. "Looks like Ginger-nuts is in for a long night."


	16. Chapter 16

**Apologies for so long between updates, it is the end of the school year here in South Africa which means tons of work and lots of events. Soon though, soon I shall be able to update once a week again. Thank you for the continued support and all the follows and love! 3**

* * *

"Bella?" Hermione asked that night, her fingers playing around one of Bella's black curls that had strayed from tying up her hair earlier in the evening. They were laying quite content reading the Life and Times of a Vampire Slayer. It was the latest best seller on the Witch Weekly book list.

"Mmmm?" Bella voiced turning the page slowly; she was listening and reading at the same time. The story was at a dramatic twist in which the Vampire Slayer had just arrived at her new school to find she had actually not left her vampire slaying past behind.

"I'm not the first trainee you've slept with." It wasn't a question so much as a, well yeah it was a question and a statement. Hermione felt herself holding her breath, she wasn't stupid, she wasn't going to go all dramatic and gooey doe eyed at the auror but she was curious after what she had heard during the training session.

Bella paused and placed her finger on the book to mark her spot. "Why, does it matter?"

"Well-no." Hermione agreed and frowned, she was wondering who else Bella had slept with, what had happened so they were no longer sharing her bed. Hermione then got a sick feeling; perhaps they were still sharing her bed. Her dark haired lover watched the myriad of emotions play over her face before putting the book onto the side table to pull Hermione onto her lap.

"I'm only sleeping with you Pet." She whispered brushing her lips against Hermione's. "Yes I've slept with others, so have you." She smiled and tucked Hermione's hair behind her ear. "I am sure Dawlish has embellished tales of my conquests. I've been an auror for a long time."

"What happened then, with-" Hermione was kicking herself so hard mentally, why was she jealous over long ago lovers.

"What happened in your previous relationships?" Bella said not seeming to be annoyed by Hermione's sudden insecurities, she was sure Ginger-nuts had played a role in this sudden questioning from her usually logical bed partner. "You're not a conquest or someone I am just going to move on from when I see a hot new trainee." She winked at this statement.

"Sorry." Hermione said suddenly flush with embarrassment.

Bella laughed, "Not a problem Pet, just ask if you want to know things I won't ever lie to you."

Bella's hands slid down Hermione's back and rested on her hips, a wicked smile played on her lips. "In fact I have something that I need to tell you." She followed the words with a kiss, Hermione laughed, she knew what Bella meant by needing to talk to her, she returned the kiss with a little more passion pushing forward slightly on Bella's lap. A soft little moan was lost in the kiss as Bella gently parted Hermione's lips.

The door to the flat opened, Tonks walked in, her hair and clothes wet, her face looking like thunder. Hermione broke off the kiss and shifted out of Bella's embrace. Tonks yanked her cloak off not even paying attention to her aunt's lover. "Can I stay tonight?"

"Always my love you know that." Bella said taking in her niece's appearance, "Just don't drip on the carpet. Go dry off and I'll get you some tea."

Tonks disappeared into Bella's bedroom and Hermione heard her turn on the shower. "Should I go?"

"No, just a fight with a boyfriend or girlfriend I'm sure." Bella said stretching and getting up to go into the kitchen. "Besides she can sleep in her room, I have lots of silencing charms and I know how to use them." She winked as she set the kettle on to boil.

Tonks emerged a few minutes later, long black hair fell just below her shoulders, tendrils of curls already showing as she dried it. The resemblance to her aunt was uncanny as she sat and added sugar to the milky tea mixture Bella had added to her cup. Hermione doubted many people ever saw Tonks in her natural state. As they sat in silence Hermione watched as Tonks relaxed and more features emerged. Her eyes were as dark as Bella's, long lashes, a pouty mouth and aristocratic features that made Hermione wonder why Tonks never went around like this. Bella glanced from her niece to Hermione but said nothing, Tonks would speak when she was ready, so like her mother in that regard.

"I hate him." Tonks said finally picking at a biscuit Hermione had put on her plate.

"Oh?" Bella inquired and waited.

"I am sorry I just showed up. You guys were together."

Bella smiled at Hermione, "Well we starting to get in the middle of something but had you arrived a few minutes later you might have had a door slammed in your face." Hermione's face burned slightly at Bella's words.

"So, why do you hate him and no more apologies, please I am pretty sure I've interrupted a fair few of your fun evenings over the years."

"That you have and a few of mum's as well. He's just-" Tonks sighed, "He says he can't see me anymore."

"Why in the hell not is he stupid?" Bella asked snatching a biscuit off Tonks' plate. "Who in the world wouldn't want to see you again."

"He said he's too old for me and-" Here Tonks went silent, Bella's stolen biscuit was halfway to her mouth when she stared at Tonks in horror. Hermione immediately noticed the mood shift and looked between the pair. Tonks' eyes were wide looking at Bella's face, she began shaking her head. "No, no Bella-" Tonks began pushing back from the table, she had thought it, had felt Bella drift there without meaning to. She couldn't help it when she saw thoughts so on the surface, she was a natural legilimens really, she should have guarded that thought, she should have kept it buried deep down. But now, fuck, now her aunt knew.

"A werewolf?" Bella hissed when she had collected her thoughts. She absent-mindedly crushed the biscuit in her hand. "You are dating a werewolf?" Bella's tone was quiet and dangerous, Hermione swallowed and felt dizzy from the sudden light hearted mood shift into hatred rolling off her lover like a black fog. "Are you fucking insane?" Bella was taking measured breathes, her fingers dug into the sides of the table turning her knuckles white. The tea cups, sugar and milk began to float up slightly from the table as Bella fought to control her rage. Tonks was backing up from the table slowly not breaking eye contact. "You are dating A WEREWOLF!" The teacups, milk pitcher and sugar bowl smashed when Bella shouted, Hermione ducked to avoid glass hitting her. She knew the auror's temper was legendary but this.

"Bella-" Tonks began and was cut off with a flick of Bella's wrist. Tonks looked furious now at being silenced.

"YOU FUCKED A WEREWOLF!" Bella roared this as she stood from the table and moved towards Tonks who kept backing up until there was nowhere to go. Hermione's hand was on her wand but she knew it would be hopeless if Bella set her mind to duel. She cast a shield charm anyway that was easily shattered as Bella advanced on Tonks. "YOU DARE COME INTO MY HOUSE WHEN YOU FUCKED A WEREWOLF!" Pictures were rattling on the walls. "I told him, I promised him-"

"Bella-" Hermione said trying to calm her, Tonks was glaring, her wand out with a shield up that wasn't shattered as easily as Hermione's had been.

"Bella stop." Hermione heard another voice, Andromeda was in the doorway. "Stop. I know Bella but stop." Andromeda looked as if her head were hurting. "Bella stop." She said again staggering slightly from the fury. The table came back down with a crash, Hermione was staring at Bella, fear in her eyes as she watched the heavy breathing move into more normal territory.

"You fucked him." Bella said her voice hoarse. Tonks winced at the words; Andromeda ventured deeper into the flat and placed a restraining hand on Bella's arm.

"Bella the girl's heart is broken she doesn't need this drama. " Andromeda said her fingers now moving over Bella's hand and slipping the wand away as she caressed her sister's fingers. They all knew that Bella didn't need a wand if she put her mind to torture. "Come now, come. I am sure you've scared Hermione half to death." Andromeda moved her wand to repair the damage to the small dining room, little pieces of glass tinkled back into place and the tea returned hot to the pot.

"She's-she's dating a werewolf." Bella said again, Andromeda's head was sore from Bella's internal shouts. "I promised- I promised Sev-" she leaned against the chair, the fight gone out of her for the moment.

"You're dating a muggle-born." Andromeda said to counter she sister's argument.

"That's different." Bella claimed now looking over at Hermione who was still standing in a slightly defensive position.

"And you dated a veela." Andromeda countered again, "And a nymph, two in fact."

Bella's shoulders relaxed slightly, "That was different." Bella said holding her hand out for her wand which Andromeda still held.

"It's not different and no you're not getting this back right now."

Bella took a breath and closed her eyes for a moment in pain.

"A werewolf." She said looking from her sister to her niece, "You're fine with this?"

"Of course I'm not fine with it." Andromeda stated honestly, "I am the farthest thing from fine with it."

Tonks went to argue, "Don't-" Andromeda said holding up her hand to silence Tonks, "Don't you dare try to defend it. While I don't share Bella's hysterics over it I have half a mind to cast a memory charm on you to make you forget this- this Lupin ever existed. Are you so broken over Severus that you would go with a werewolf Dora? That you would put your life in danger and ours for what? For grief?" Andromeda's voice softened a little, "My dearest heart you don't have to lower yourself to a werewolf, we all know how much Sev meant to you."

Bella pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, she wished they would just go home and let her think, let her calm down. Her mind was screaming, Andromeda winced slightly feeling the noise coming off her sister; she backed away slightly to try to get her own mind to settle. "Quiet Bella." She finally scolded with a sigh, "I literally cannot hear myself think with your screams."

Bella said nothing and walked from the room slamming the bedroom door, Hermione stood uncertain looking from mother to daughter. Tonks was sniffing and glaring at Andromeda; she had apparently left her mother's house and came to Bella when Andromeda found out.

"I apologise Hermione." Andromeda said in a tired voice, "I am sure this was not what you expected after a hard week at work. Families are complicated, especially ours." She rubbed her forehead and sat at the table, "Tea?

* * *

"We've got another one." Bella said grabbing her cloak and fastening it. "Just got the floo call." She sipped her coffee quickly and tucked her wand away for safe keeping.

"Werewolf?" Hermione asked grabbing her own cloak; the weather had turned bitterly cold overnight.

"Looks like it. Granger you've got the lead on this. Pick your team and be ready to move in five." Bella said taking one last sip of coffee. Hermione's look of surprise showed for a half second. "Six people, five minutes Granger." And Bella vanished down the corridor to get the prep ready.

"Um," Hermione swallowed, the room looked at her waiting for direction. "Um, so I- um" The usual confidence took flight for a moment. "Right, I need Tonks, Whitten, Longbottom, Myself, Black and-" here she hesitated, Ron and Harry were both looking at her expectantly. "Harry." Harry nodded and grabbed his cloak along with the rest of the team. Ron's face flushed as crimson as his hair, he tried to hide his embarrassment as he shrugged off not being selected.

"Don't freeze your asses off out there. Good hunting." The smile didn't reach as he followed the procession with his eyes.

The team arrived in the ready room where Bella waited along with several other aurors Hermione had never really spoken to before.

"Alright people we're going to take this one by the book. Granger has the lead you will defer all decisions to her. If you disagree mark it respectfully and bring it to me if you feel Granger is overstepping her duties. Where is your sixth person?" Bella asked looking around at the assembled group.

"You're my sixth." Hermione answered standing up straighter and stowing away potions in her bag.

Bella was not surprised that Ron did not make the team. She nodded and grabbed her own pack to stow away in her robes. Hermione realised for a moment she was waiting for instructions from the black eyed witch who gave her a gentle smile and a small nod. The butterflies returned and Hermione swallowed down the bile that just risen in her throat.

"Black is with me, we'll be processing the scene. Longbottom and Tonks will take any negotiations and then join Potter and Whitten; Potter and Whitten are going to secure the perimeter. It's cold out there and there is snow on the forecast which means we need to work quick to secure the area and then begin processing."

The group still stood waiting, Hermione looked over at Bella again who cocked her head slightly and raised her eyebrow.

"Detain any witnesses, use force if necessary." Her neck itched slightly. "If there is a threat from a person you've detained don't hesitate to stun them. We need them alive."

The group relaxed a little now, it was the command they had been waiting for, kill or stun.

"Good hunting." Hermione said, the small group wished her as well.

"On my mark," She held out the Portkey Bella had produced. She waited until they had all taken hold. "Mark." The portkey glowed and they were gone.

A chilled fog hung low to the ground in the wooded area, the clouds overhead a cold grey colour that promised snow by nightfall. Hermione wished she had remembered her gloves, her fingers already feeling a chill against the warmth of the slender vine wand in her hand.

Bella sent the marker spell out to search for blood; the usual emitted squeal did not come as the little ball of light searched in vain. It returned to Bella's hand and stayed on her fingertips moving between them. Hermione watched it as though it held the secrets to the investigation, for a moment Hermione forgot where she was and stepped closer to Bella who inched away almost in perceptively. She closed her hand over the ball and frowned slightly at Hermione; Whitten was watching them and Hermione snapped out of her thoughts and looked around.

"No blood trail." Hermione said with a sigh, "Caller said the body is twenty meters north of here. Keep an eye out for any disturbed leaves, footprints, fur stuck to trees, anything that could give us a clue."

The assembled group nodded as they moved side by side through the area, jostling their position every now and then when they came up to a tree. No fur though Tonks found a handful of black feathers. Hermione bagged them along with a few broken twigs. It might mean nothing but she couldn't discount them. Bella's face gave nothing away and she had stayed silent unless directly spoken to. Hermione pushed thoughts of Bella out of her mind.

The body was there, a slightly bigger mound than the first one she had discovered with Bella. Harry pointed out there was a lack of drag marks which usually accompanied a werewolf or animal attack. There were more feathers near the body that Tonks bagged. Hermione was grateful they had bagged the first set.

"No blood." Hermione said rounding the body slowly; the other aurors worked on casting protection spells around the small area. The dome lifted over them and then they all slightly relaxed. They peered around the ground and on the side of the rocky embankment. Unlike the previous victims this body was pristine.

"Female appears to be around ten or eleven." Hermione said moving closer. The victim was dressed in a white nightgown, her throat cut cleanly. There were no signs of struggle and the lack of defensive wounds was disturbing. "Possibly drugged to keep her subdued; no presence of blood at the cut." She sighed heavily, "This looks very staged." She said aloud to nobody in particular.

"Well yes, this is a ritual killing this wasn't an animal in blood lust." Bella said now moving to examine the body with Whitten. She lifted the gown very carefully to examine for any signs of abuse and was relieved to find there were none. A twig snapped above them on the embankment, their eyes lifted to a little girl standing over them watching.

The group took a collective gasp, she was in a similar gown, her hair perfect, she was barefoot which was oddly disturbing in the cold temperatures.

"Hello." Hermione said stepping back from the small girl on the ground and keeping eye contact with the girl on the embankment. "I'm Hermione, these are my friends. What's your name?" The girl continued to look at each of them in turn. "It's ok we won't hurt you, were you the one who called?" There was another snap behind them and another girl stood. Her features were identical to the one on the embankment. The hair on Hermione's neck stood up, more twigs snapped as girls began to appear out of the tree line. In all nearly twenty gown clad girls stood on the edge of the wards watching them.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: YAY Summer holidays are here FINALLY! This chapter has been playing in my head for ages and finally got it out. Also Skyrim on PS4 is so pretty and fun to replay :)  
**

 **A/N 2: HerBella: Yes I will be working more on the other Hermione/Bella story with Maia etc... sorry couldn't answer you in a PM.**

 **Thank you guys for the reviews and favourites :)**

 **Might be a trigger warning for people afraid of scary things**

* * *

"Are those?" Hermione asked in a whisper, she couldn't keep the fear out of her voice.

"They are." Bellatrix answered, her fingers tightening around the slim familiar wood of her wand.

As the girls moved in silence closer to the wards as Hermione let out an audible gasp. The books she had read, the drawings that depicted these girls had not done them justice. She felt the group moved tighter together, her arm touched Bella's. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the faces of the girls, her throat was suddenly dry and she couldn't make sound come out. She could hear her pulse pounding in her ears, a scream pushing into her brain.

A collective shiver ran through the group, Hermione heard Neville give a small whimper.

Colourless eyes moved as one towards Neville, the group could feel him tremble. "H-hello." Neville tried, his voice cracked when he spoke. "I- we're from the Ministry of Magic we-we've come to help- to help you…" He trailed off, they heard it at once, it filled the dome of their wards.

They did not answer, they couldn't, and each girl that stared at them had only flesh where a mouth should be. Their eyes rolled back in their heads, the sound of their breathing amplified inside the ward. Their fingers pushed against the shimmer of the magic as they tried to pries into the protective charms that separated them from the aurors.

"We do not want your help boy." The voice sounded as though it were inhaling as it spoke. The air thinned inside the protective barriers and Hermione began to feel lightheaded. "We do not need the help of men." As the voice spoke again the wards shook around them, Hermione could feel Whitten shaking at her back.

The girls moved their heads, tilting them as if deciding something about Neville. Hermione looked around to see who had spoken, her wand ready to strike as she focused for a moment on the body that lay just meters away from them.

The girls now blinked in unison before turning towards the speaker. Bella saw her first, she was standing back from the girls she was taller, her hair was red like fire, she stared at the group with black uncaring eyes. Her nightgown was torn and stained down the front; the blood seemed to be coming from her mouth. A row of razor sharp teeth had eaten away at the flesh that took the place of the girl's mouth, she bared her fangs at them, the teeth yellowed and stained pink. There were twigs in her hair as if she had been lying down on the forest floor, her hands were muddy and there were bruises up her arms.

The wards wavered once more as the girls continued to push against them with their fingers, they followed silent orders given by the older girl. Hermione could hear it now, the sound of leaves scraping against the barrier, the noise was soft at first but it was growing, it moved from the back of her skull forward. She saw Bella wince, the pressure was building behind her eyes.

It happened so fast, the scream was deafening and Hermione was unsure if it came from herself, Bella, Tonks or the red haired girl. The wards shattered around them and in the next moment Hermione was blown back from the force. She hit the ground getting the breath knocked from her lungs. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move. The screams were deafening, she could barely open her eyes, she saw Bella on the ground, her hands clutching the sides of her head, her wand forgotten at her feet. Hermione's own wand lay on the ground just above her in the leaves. She pushed her hand up to grasp it, to try to get the familiar warmth between her fingers.

"Whitten!" Hermione heard Harry shout, she turned her head to see the girl with red hair lean over, her sharp teeth ripping out his throat. Harry aimed a spell and she was gone in a flash of red, blood poured out of the wound onto the forest floor. The girls had vanished just as suddenly as they had appeared; Hermione crawled on her hands and knees, her fingers closing over the wound in Whitten's neck. She felt the warm blood pouring over her hands as she tried to stem the flow. "Hermione no!" She heard Bella scream before the older witch knocked her back onto the ground. "No!" She pulled Hermione away from Whitten, her arms clasped around Hermione keeping her away from the injured auror. "Did they touch you? Did they touch you?" She was frantically checking Hermione's arms and face.

Hermione felt it then, the cold feeling that began in her fingertips had now moved up her arm. She began to shiver, "No, no, no." Bella began, her hands trying to wipe at the blood that covered them both. "No, no, Hermione, no." She grabbed leaves and tried to wipe the blood away. Her wand was useless at removing the black coloured blood that crept up Hermione's arm. "No, no." Bella whispered, "Dora! Help me!"

Hermione saw plumes of white light and smoke, she shook all over as hands closed over her own. White, white, were they being attacked again, her eyes tore around the room at the assembled faces; no they were healers from St. Mungo's. The smell, she could smell the blood, the iron mixed with her vomit to created another pile of sick to join the first two. She was sticky, her robes wet and stained. She couldn't hear, she tried to focus on the healer's lips. She fought their hands when they tried to take her away from Bella. There was chaos all around her, she felt warm hands close over her, smelled vanilla amidst the foul odour of the hospital; she felt warm breath in her ear and she let go finally. Sweet darkness filled her body, sweet vanilla darkness and she was warm and safe.

* * *

She woke up thirsty, her head pounded from the pain, she could still hear the screams of the girls. Bella was gone, Hermione moved her head slowly, the room was dark; perhaps Bella had left to get some rest or something to eat. She saw a healer moving quietly in the corner of the room. She tried to lift her head and found that she could not, she felt almost bound to the bed. She swallowed and tried to open her mouth to request water. Her heart rose in her throat, she couldn't open her mouth. She tried to scream, her banged her hands on the bed to get the healer's attention but she did not turn around. She reached up to touch her face, her mouth was gone, there was nothing, just flesh. Just flesh that extended from her cheeks over where her lips should be. She could move her tongue, she could grunt, she tried screaming, tears filled her eyes as she struggled to make a sound. Her mouth was gone, it was gone. Panic was filling her, the healer finally heard her screaming and turned. The sight that greeted Hermione forced her mouth open, ripped the flesh to unleash her terror as the red haired girl from the forest turned around and smiled at Hermione, blood dripped down her white healer's uniform.

"NO!" Screamed Hermione, her hands flew up to protect her face, she tasted blood in her mouth, smelled the iron once more. Hands were on her, shaking her, calling for her to calm down, to stay there. She fought the hands, clawed at any skin she could reach while she screamed.

"Hermione, Hermione calm down, calm down." The hands pushed harder against her, the weight forcing her back onto the bed. She screamed louder, red hair became black; the blood that had been dripping down became Bella's mouth dark red with her makeup. "Calm down." Bella breathed, her hands still pressing onto Hermione's shoulders. "Calm down alright, I'm going to let you up but you need to calm down."

Hermione saw the healer hand Bella a potion, "Here drink this; it will help you sleep alright."

"No, no I can't I can't sleep she's there, she's there." She was desperate not to go back into the dark.

"Calm down Ms. Granger it's just a calming potion everything will be alright." The healer said with a smile, Hermione tried to push harder against Bella who still held her down.

"Don't make us tie you down again." Bella whispered, "Please Pet, just take the potion."

Hermione began to cry, didn't Bella know what putting her in the dark was going to do.

"Don't cry Love, I'll be here when you wake up again."

She sobbed as Bella poured the potion into her mouth, she could see her there, the red haired girl waiting in the corner of the room. Waiting with her smile and her blood and then it was dark once more.

* * *

Bella sat back in the chair studying her lover's face, her eyes refusing to look at the poisoned hand that lay clutching the blanket. The healers had done what they could, her contact with the Reaper no matter how brief it had been had left her damaged. It had been three weeks, Bella rubbed her eyes, every single time Hermione woke it was the same. They had to keep her sedated; she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Ms. Black?" A tall brown haired healer came into the room. "Do you know where her family is?"

"No-I-I'm her family." Bella said her fingers brushing back a tear from Hermione's cheek. "The aurors' office sent over her medical forms, she has no next of kin besides me."

"You're her wife?" He asked looking over the forms and seeing Bella's name filled in for Hermione's contact details.

"No-" She paused for a moment, "Her girlfriend." She brushed another tear away and tucked her hair behind her ear. She smiled at Hermione's sleeping form, that bushy hair that got everywhere.

"I just need you to sign this." He said holding out a clip board and blood quill. So they had sent another flunky to try and get Bella to sign to admit Hermione to the long term ward. She smacked the clipboard away and it fell with a clatter.

"I told you people that I wasn't signing that bloody paper. She woke up on her own out of sedation that's an improvement. Get the bloody hell out of this room."

Andromeda arrived to see the orderly picking up the clipboard; she did not return his sheepish smile as he headed out of the room.

"Any change?" Andromeda asked leaning against the back of Bella's chair.

"She woke up just a while ago, talked and everything."

"She spoke?" Andy asked surprised.

"Well-she screamed and fought like a tiger so- yeah she spoke and moved." Bella said with a sigh. "I think it's wrong Andy, keeping her asleep." She shook her head, "She- she's scared."

Andromeda rubbed Bella's shoulders, "Angel, she touched a reaper."

"I know." Bella whispered the words, her mind floating back to the girl with the red hair, the fangs, the bruises. "It wasn't meant for Hermione it went for Whitten."

"From what I heard ripped his throat out." Andromeda said still rubbing Bella's shoulders to a grateful groan. "Amelia told me." Andromeda added to clarify that she knew the grizzly details wouldn't need to be filled in. "But reapers, here…" She trailed off.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: YAY Holidays :) Trying to get the chapters out but friends and Star Wars and parties get in the way.

HerBella: I am currently working on the outline for the other story so hopefully it will be soon. PM your ideas if you'd like to.

Thank you all for the reviews and kind words. I love hearing from you guys.

* * *

Tonks came home late; Bella was asleep on the couch a book thrown over her chest, her fingers marking the page. Tonks frowned and slipped the book out of Bella's grasp which caused the older witch to stir slightly.

"Hey." Tonks whispered brushing her fingers over Bella's wild hair. "Let's go to bed ok?" Their argument over Remus Lupin was still hanging between them.

Bella looked around confused for a moment before taking a breath and gazing at her niece, "Any changes?" Tonks had been at the hospital for the last seven hours, the aurors had all taken it to guarding Hermione's room.

"No, nothing since you were there." Tonks' voice was defeated as she sank down on the floor and rested her hand on Bella's. "What if she-what if she never wakes up from this?"

Bella felt her throat go tight, "She's strong, she'll wake up." She found she could only whisper the words.

"Bella-" Tonks began and was quieted with a soft touch of a finger to her lips.

"I'm sorry." Bella said after a moment, "I don't like it, I hate it in fact but-" She shook her head, "I love you more than I hate him."

Tonks' eyes stung with unshed tears as she stood and held her hand out to Bella to take. She followed her niece into the bedroom they shared on occasion.

"I've tried to be strong Bella, I've tried to keep-"

Bella's fingers began slowly to work over Tonks' shoulders rubbing away the aches of the day. "Hush now." She said pushing a little harder on a knot she had just found. "You've been as strong as you have to be."

"I loved him so much." A sob constricted her throat as a tear slipped away. "I loved him more than anyone else before."

"I know you did baby girl." She helped Tonks pull her shirt off as she continued then with the back rub. "And I promised him I would keep you safe." She pressed a soft kiss to Tonks' shoulder; a scar was present from that day, the spell that had nearly taken Tonks' arm with it. She pressed another kiss "Come, let's shower." She said in a tired voice taking Tonks' hand and leading her into the bathroom where she removed her own clothes.

Tonks moaned happily as the hot water hit her tired sore body, her short pink hair changing into long black tendrils of curls. Bella handed her shampoo as she rinsed her own curls under the steaming hot water. Once their shower was complete Bella quietly brushed through her own hair and then Tonks' not allowing her to change it back to the pink. "Just be you dearest." She pressed a kiss to the top of Tonks' head. "I've missed your face." She unsnarled each curl methodically before applying anti-frizz potions to it and her own. "Come." She commanded gently as she steered Tonks towards the king sized bed that was so deliciously soft she sank down into it, the scent of her aunt enveloping her into a feeling of safety. She aunts' arms slipped around her holding her close and pressing another kiss. "Sleep now, I'll take the watch." Tonks cuddled into Bella's embrace, her aunts black eyes surveyed the darkness, her ears primed for a threat.

* * *

Hermione's breathing came fast, she sat up in the bed, the room was black save for a crack of light under the door. She heard voices in the hallway too far away to make out their words. She fingers touched her mouth, relief spread through her to find that her mouth was in fact there and working. She moved slowly off the bed, her bare toes touching the cold floor making her jump slightly. She peered around the room, no sign of the red haired girl. Was she really awake? She felt the cold touch her feet again, her eyes rested then on her hand, her fingers black as though the blood flow had been cut off. She swallowed and took another breath, it smelled like St. Mungo's. She took a step forward towards the door and then another. Her vision cast to the corner of the room where the red head spent Hermione's sleeping hours. Nothing, she felt like this was too easy, she was almost to the door, her fingers reached for the handle before she felt it.

The breeze was pleasant at first barely noticeable but she knew, in a matter of seconds the storm would hit again and she would be silenced. She grabbed the handle and wrenched it open; the bright light that had been under the door was not St. Mungo's but the forest. When she turned she saw that she was no longer in her hospital room but was completely surrounded by trees, the blue sky above her and the air was full of autumn. It was the kind of cold and crisp days that Hermione had loved as a child. She stepped forward and looked down, her wore a white nightgown, her feet were still bare. A twig snapped behind her and the red haired girl stood watching her, the nightgown covered in blood, the dripping noise fell onto the leaves like a single raindrop falling over and over again.

Hermione felt the moisture on her fingers and toes, she saw the spots of blood on her legs. "Please-" She said quietly, "Please I need to wake up."

The girl frowned at her and took a step forward. The same inhaling voice spoke, the leaves stirred around them as Hermione felt her hair lift up from the wind. "You should not have interfered."

"I- I'm sorry." She ventured the wind shook the trees. "I need to wake up I need to wake up please." The blood began to seep up as though she had stepped into mud. The blood squelched through her toes and then covered her feet. The chill that had begun at her fingers began to move up her arm. The blood began to creep up her legs. Hermione's breath was ragged as she tried to keep the fear at bay. It moved like tendrils up her legs and onto her nightgown. She couldn't let it reach her face, she couldn't have it take her mouth. She felt herself sinking now into the blood and mud, she couldn't move away and the whole time the girl watched with her emotionless eyes.

* * *

"Reapers." Bella stated in the ready room rubbing her face from exhaustion. Longbottom was on duty with Hermione that morning. "Spirits, however Reapers are capable of taking on solid form for a while." The aurors flipped to the next page of what Bella was showing them. "Never isolated and always under the control of the mother."

Ron gulped at the image, the white eyes and mouthless face stared at him without pity. "The mother?"

"Well that's what we're calling her. She leads the group, always. Their hive like mind works under her orders very similar to bees listening to a queen." She hadn't time to fuck with him today and prayed to everything under Merlin that he had the sense to keep stupid comments to himself. She saw Harry shiver slightly from his seat, she could see the image play over and over again in his mind. The throat being ripped out, the blood spraying over the nightgown.

"Why Whitten though? Why not Harry or Neville, I mean I am glad it wasn't them but why did they single in on Whitten?" Ron asked studying the diagram of where all the aurors had been standing at the time. Bella studied the boy for a moment and nodded approval of the question.

"Apparently Whitten was, well less than outstanding before he came to the aurors office. It is something that we are going to be screening all of aurors for now and in the future. We are not sure how it was missed and we're checking into that Auror Weasley."

Amelia read over the next page quickly, "Auror Black, do we know how this started? What triggered the reapers on our soil?"

Bella walked over to the timeline on the wall, "As far as we can tell it started with Abigail, she was assaulted before she was killed, her mouth covered to keep her silenced. The style of the crime fits to make it summon these-" Bella paused here, "spirits." She finished.

Ron felt sick to his stomach; his mind went to his sister, a grown woman now but to her when she was small. Her sweetness at the age of these girls, what would- he stopped himself, he couldn't go there, he wouldn't.

"And how do we stop them?" Amelia asked coming to the end of the report.

Bella shook her head, "That is where the research on them ends, unfortunately all the information we have is dated to the sixteen hundreds and we are, as far as I know, the first group to encounter them since then. This is ancient magic Amelia, this isn't something that Newt Scamander would have come across in his adventures. It isn't a beast."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: sorry for the delay, holiday fun was calling my name. On a side note: Please keep in mind that 1. This is written for fun and I am by no means a professional writer so there will be mistakes. 2. Constructive feedback is always welcome and I enjoy it however do keep in mind that this Hermione is NOT the Hermione from the books as this is an AU where she has never faced Voldemort or been tortured by death eaters. She is very intelligent but has never had to defend her life in a war situation like we see in J.K.'s world. So yes she won't be as strong at the moment as she was in the books. Thank you to everyone for the kind words, messages and feedback**

 **Herbella: I am working on a special story just for you with your prompts :)**

* * *

Bella knew it was stupid, careless even and a remiss of her duties but she had to do it. Perhaps it would hold the key to waking Hermione from her terror. She apparated to the site of Whitten's demise and Hermione's accident; she pulled down the magical tape as she walked. She kept her wand out and ready as she moved towards the flat stone that had held the small girl, her eyes drifted up to the embankment half expecting to see the gown clad girl or the red head. Neither appeared and Bella sighed heavily, she listened for snapping twigs and birds taking flight but she was only met with silence. Her fingers traced along the top of the flat stone as she moved closer to the spot of the incident. She held her breath as she stepped to the spot, the leaves and surrounding area now disturbed by all the comings and goings of Aurors and Magical Law Enforcement. "I'm losing my mind." She whispered to herself but spun quickly when she heard footsteps approaching. She threw up her shield immediately and held a stunning spell on her wand tip waiting to see who or what would make themselves known.

"I come in peace." The voice said coming around the edge of the embankment. The words belonged to a ragged looking wizard with graying hair and numerous scars.

"I wasn't aware our department worked with the likes of your kind any longer." Bella said with her shield down but her curse still resting on her wand tip.

"Amelia sent me, she thought I could support as you find yourself without a partner." Lupin replied wary of her wand tip.

"Be a good dog then and sniff around." Bella said annoyed dropping her wand as she turned her back to Lupin and kicked around in the leaves.

"How is she?" Lupin asked carefully after a few minutes of examining the stone.

"She's alive." Bella said approaching a tree with the bark ripped away. "Your friends?"

Lupin walked over and examined the damage and sniffing slightly at the trunk. Bella rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "No, not human either."

Bella peered closer and squinted, a smile touched her lips, "Well hello there." She said, Lupin frowned at Bella talking to herself and then understood as Bella pulled a red strand of hair away from the trunk with her wand tip.

"What's that?"

"Hair from our reaper." Bella said holding the hair up to the light, "Might be able to get a trace potion from this beauty."

"Bellatrix-" Lupin began and was cut off immediately by the ice cold stare that Bella gave him.

"Auror Black-" She corrected him as she stowed away the hair safely in her robes.

"Of course, Auror Black- I- My desire to be here it two fold." Lupin admitted as Bella walked to another tree hoping to find more hair but did not turn up anything. "She found feathers-" She mumbled to herself casting around to look at the ground as if feathers would jump out at her.

"What is your plan then?" She said after a moment and pushing back a bush to retrieve a black feather and bagging it.

"I- well I-I didn't –Nymphadora-" He started and stopped abruptly as Bella shoved him against a tree, her wand at his throat.

"Give me a reason dog-" Her wand tip pushed into the skin of his neck as she twisted it slowly.

Lupin swallowed hard against the feeling of the wood against his neck. "I-I told her this wouldn't work."

"You're right." She pushed the wand harder before she shoved his shoulders into the tree again. "Stay away from my family."

They worked in silence for over an hour, Lupin rubbing the spot several times on his throat from Bella's wand. The search procured three more hairs and two more feathers.

Bella arrived back at the Ministry with Lupin in tow, she said nothing to Tonks as she walked past her desk, Lupin close at her heels. She pulled the evidence from her robes and called Neville over. "We found these at the scene. Make up a trace potion from them. Auror Granger also had some fur and feathers, trace potion those as well and let me know when they're ready. Ask this dog for help if you need it."

Neville nodded enthusiastically not catching the reference she made towards Lupin. Tonks fixed Bella with a stare of disgust from her statement that Bella ignored. Her aunt walked past her and headed to Amelia's office.

Disregarding the secretary Bella walked into Amelia's office and sat down in front of her desk, Amelia didn't look up from the parchment scroll she was reading. "You are aware that I have a secretary for you to make appointments with?"

"Taking advantage of the family connection. What the actual hell Amelia, sending that thing to help me investigate."

"He is not a thing Bellatrix."

"He's not an Auror."

"No he's an investigator with a special background in magical creatures and dark arts, both of which may prove to be important in this case. I am trying to help you Bella and Hermione." Amelia was frustrated, her cheeks coloured slightly in anger. It was not a time for Bella's stupid family prejudices to get in the way.

"And Nymphadora?" Bella said ignoring the dangerous ground she was walking on with her sister-in-law and former lover.

"Is a grownup and capable of making her own decisions, are you quite through Auror Black?" Amelia had still not looked up from the scroll.

Bella scowled and stared at the desktop, the only sound in the room was the angry breathes of both women. "I won't work with him." She finally spoke picking at the candy jar that sat on the edge of Amelia's desk.

"You will include him in all your updates and investigative information. He will go with you into the field once an area is cleared and he will work with your case until it is solved."

Bella slammed the lid down on the sweets jar and stood, her hands shook slightly.

"Do keep it under control Bella I don't fancy your temper shattering my office." Amelia said with an air of dismissal.

Bella stormed from the office and slammed the door shattering the glass. Amelia waved her wand and repaired it immediately before rubbing her eyes. That was mild compared to their arguments in the past.

The room was quiet and dark, little noises filtered through from the hallway but other than that Bella sat reading over files next to Hermione who slept. Bella would comment to Hermione on the research she had managed to find but before long she felt her eyes grown heavy. She sat the files on the side table and entwined her fingers with Hermione's. "Good night Pet." She pressed a kiss to Hermione's lips and laid her head against the pillow. The bed was magically enlarged to allow Bella to hold her at night, since she had started to do that Hermione's colour had improved dramatically.

Bella was in the woods barefoot, the fallen leaves cushioned her toes and kept them from sinking into the winter mud. She looked around with a frown, why was she in the woods barefoot? She felt herself being pulled towards the flat stone, the embankment rose before her much higher than it was in real life. She watched little puffs of steam form from her mouth, the temperature cooling rapidly the closer she ventured to the stone. She saw the disturbed ground beneath her feet, signs of a struggle, torn pieces of cloth, droplets of blood. She bent down to examine a piece of white material when she heard Hermione whispering. She jerked her head up and scanned the area, she was alone but for Hermione's whispers. "Hermione?" She answered the whisper and then heard a laugh, her own as she felt herself being pulled away from the woods and into the warmth of her bedroom.

Hermione lay beneath her, her fingers running slowly up and down Bella's back, her mouth trailing kisses along Bella's neck and jaw. It felt so real, the heat of her mouth, the pressure of her fingertips on her skin. She wanted to stay in this dream the rest of the night curled into her lovers arms feeling her move expectantly beneath her. She craved the little moans and cries of delight as her fingers brushed between Hermione's legs. She felt herself fall into Hermione's eyes forcing the witch to look at her, her beautiful mouth open in a gasp of pleasure before being captured by Bella's, her fingers thrusting deeply into the warmth of the young witch beneath her.

The room grew cold again and stirred Bella from the deeper sleep that had held her with Hermione. She groaned aloud and pulled up the blanket around them both. Her head began to clear despite her desire to stay asleep. She felt each layer falling away as she became aware of the physical world and the freezing temperature of the room. She opened her eyes slowly muttering about needing a warming charm, she felt Hermione's finger move to her lips and she froze. The familiar eyes of her lover were watching her, her finger pressed against Bella's mouth to keep her quiet. "She's coming."

.


	20. Chapter 20

**Apologies for lack of updates: School is back and holidays were just so blissful I couldn't find the time to write. I love the reviews and messages, thank you I will respond.**

 **Abuse implied below: Trigger warning**

* * *

"I don't get it." Ron said picking at a burnt spot on the table.

Harry sighed and leaned back in his chair looking at Ron, "You don't get why she's into girls or why she's into Black?"

Ron shrugged, "Black's- well, blimey Harry she's old enough to be Hermione's mum. I mean what the hell can they talk about?"

"Well seeing as how she's not really talking much these days I'll let you wait for your answer." Ginny said finally chiming in to her brother's foul mood. "Besides, Hermione's been gay since we were in school Ron. "

"Susan was a phase." Ron corrected quickly.

Ginny rolled her eyes, "No when I slept with Hermione it was a phase Ronald, Hermione is very much gay." She stood from the table and pulled her jacket free from behind Harry's back. Her brother's shocked face was met with Ginny's smirk. "And I am sure they have a lot to talk about and none of it would have anything to do with you." Ron watched his sister approach the newly entranced Sirius Black, he saw her gesture over to the small group to which he nodded, gave a wave and then held the door for Ginny to exit. He followed her out; he knew very well when his lover had had enough of her brother.

"You know that bothers her Ron." Harry said picking up a chip and dipping it into some ketchup. He had known about Ginny and Hermione since it happened so he ignored the still surprised look on Ron's face. His comment was referring to the age difference as Ginny sometimes complained to Harry that the gap between herself and Sirius was judged harshly.

"They- she-"

"No offense Ron but what you don't know about Ginny would fill an ocean. " Neville said grabbing one of Harry's chips.

* * *

Bella shivered and tried to control her breathing, her let her eyes follow Hermione's into the corner of the room. She could feel Hermione's slight tremble as the red haired girl approached the bed, the dripping sound echoed in the room as the blood stained the floor when the girl moved. Hermione screwed her eyes shut, tears stung behind her eyelids as she felt the girl's breath on her cheek.

Bella tightened her grip around Hermione as the cold fingers from the girl ran along her hair, the muddy fingers tangling slowly in Bella's curls. She fought hard to keep from jerking away, her mind spinning and a shield spell failed to produce from her fingertips. The fingers continued to stroke along her hair slowly almost lovingly, soft little mummers reached her ears as though they were trying to quiet a crying child.

"He won't hurt you." The whisper sounded in the room, not the raging screams from the forest but a soft, sweet caress of sound that relaxed Bella's shivers. Hermione's eyes opened in confusion and met Bella's. "We were with you in the house." Bella felt the kiss, very faint on her cheek; the fingers were still tangled in her curls. Hermione jumped slightly and the red haired girl hissed at her, the harsh whisper raged shaking the potions and other items in the room. "We are with you now Bellatrix." The gentle whisper sounded again, another kiss on her cheek. "You're safe now." The dripping blood still echoed in the room, the fingers still stroking and tangling in her hair. "See what we did?" The girl's mouth was close to Bella's ear, "See what we did to keep you safe?"

* * *

Bella's body ached as though she had a fever; her head pounded pushing away the memories. The aurors at the door, her mother looking distraught, the scream as they delivered the news, he had been torn limb from limb, his neck ripped open. A werewolf they said, a dirty filthy unregistered werewolf. Bella swallowed, her eyes were staring past Hermione, past the hospital room, she was there in the entrance hall of her parents home, thirteen years old and the aurors had arrived to tell them her father was dead.

The newspaper articles, the headlines, the legislation, all in the name of safety. Cygnus Black murdered by a werewolf. Head of family tragically killed on a dragon hunt. Three heiresses left without a father. The stories ran for months, Bella and her family on the cover of every magazine and newspaper from August until December that year. The body had been barely recognizable when his hunting party found him. Sirius' father had been the one to come across his brother laying there, his head twisted at an odd angle. The bite marks, some so deep it appeared as though it had almost torn him in half. Bella has insisted on seeing the photos, had demanded every detail from her uncle and then her cousins when she felt their father was lying to her. Her mother, crazy with grief demanded action, demanded change. Refused to accept anything other than pure blooded witches and wizards, after all it was half bloods and muggle-borns who showed sympathy to those despicable creatures. She refused to marry again, she devoted her life to advocating pureblood rights and to make certain her daughters all had suitable pureblood marriages.

Bella's mother had defended her to the headmaster when she was discovered with her hand down another girls pants in the middle of Care of Magical Creatures and again when she had been found with a group of pure blood boys after hours in the greenhouse. Hadn't Bella been through enough, her mother had asked, Wasn't it normal for a girl to have boys chasing her? Her mother hadn't seen, hadn't realized what was happening with Bella then, why she was meeting seventh years in the greenhouse when she was a third year. When that failed to get a reaction Bella began to seek out more forbidden desires, nymphs, veela's, even a few half bloods and muggle-borns. Her mother was livid, she threatened Bella with disinheritance if she continued, Bella flouted the rules, went around them and began to see Amelia pulling the pureblood girl into her bed. Her mother gave up and resigned herself to the fact that at least Amelia was a pureblood. By the time she was twenty she was tired and Severus entered her life.

.


	21. Chapter 21

**Trigger warning:::::::**

 **A short chapter I know and I apologise.**

* * *

She had screamed and hit him; her fists seemed to strike against a marble pillar when she struck his chest. Severus held her at arms length as she struggled, her rage cracking the walls around them, anything that was breakable laid smashed into powder. She tried to get away, tried to stay and in the end she fell exhausted weeping against him. The nightmares were violent, Nymphadora was panting against the far wall of the room watching what played out between her aunt and Severus. Her cheek sporting several cuts with dried blood forming a protective crust where Bella had lashed out with her nails.

The evening had been relaxed, fun and silly; the three of them had been drinking and teasing one another. It had ended with Severus and Bella having their asses handed to them in a three person chess match with Tonks. She had said goodnight and grinned wishing them and teasing the couple to have a quiet night.

She had seen him for a moment in the darkness; she took a breath and whispered that he wasn't real that he was dead. She enjoyed the dizzy feeling from the alcohol and threw herself onto the bed; she smiled as she heard her niece and Severus laughing from their bedroom. She fell into a fretful sleep full of dark shadows and white faced girls. Her mouth was dry in her sleep as she tried to make a sound, her throat felt coated with dust as she cried out. She couldn't move, her hands were tied to the bed and her mouth covered with a thick calloused hand. She fought, her wrists bruised against the ties, tears stung her eyes until finally she screamed. It tore from her throat until it felt as though she were bleeding through the noise.

Severus and Nymphadora appeared in the doorway with their wands out looking for an attacker. Tonks realised Bella was asleep and tried to rouse her to her detriment, in a moment Bella lashed out and threw her back, her nails cutting into her niece's cheek. Severus helped Tonks stand before approaching Bella who knelt on the bed unseeing them.

"Bella-" He said in a gentle voice as he took a tentative step towards her, Tonks held her cheek hissing from the pain. "It's just us, it's just the three of us. Come now, it's alright."

"My wand?" She asked backing up from him.

"On the table Angel." He said taking another step. "Come now, I won't hurt you."

A flitter from the shadows made her jump and she rounded on him, when the dust settled and Bella was calm she cried her apology to both Severus and Nymphadora. They knew her secret; they took a vow to be her keeper. They did not speak of it again but Severus knew when Bella's thoughts would go dark, when her thoughts made her feel dirty and when she needed space.

Severus was only Bella's keeper for six months, six months he held it and did what he could to keep the shadows from her eyes, six months to the day and then he was gone.

* * *

Bella trembled against Hermione, again her mouth felt as if it were covered, as if she could not speak her secrets. The echoing blood drips had silenced for the moment as the red haired girl whispered into Bella's ear.

She had been thirteen when she had performed the ritual, when she had taken hair from her father's brush and burned it against the blood red candle. She had been thirteen when she had whispered into the darkness of a moonless night for the reapers to deliver her from the evil of his touches, to keep her and her sister's safe. She had been thirteen when she pierced her thumb and let the drops hit the flames, when she had cut off a lock of her own hair and burned it against the white candle. They had heard her cries; they had heeded her pleas and answered her prayers. The girl's muddy fingers caressed Bella's cheek sweetly, "We've been summoned again beautiful child." The voice cooed leaving a cold trail down Bella's cheek and arm. "The pleas for help are happening even now. Our book was found."

Bella swallowed, the book in her grandmother's study with the blackened cover. One of the few books that existed that referenced the reapers. She knew her grandmother's copy was one of only three that was still known.

"Help us." The girls cracked lips formed against her ear. "Help them as we helped you." The fingers clasped Bella's hand and then with a freezing gust of wind she was gone, the room was fully lit and Hermione lay next to her staring at the space the girl had vacated. There was a cold item in Bella's hand; it felt like ice, she opened her hand to see a white and red splattered stone. It gleamed in the light of the hospital room. It was a blood stone, she was marked now, there was no turning back.

.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:**

 **BlackPanther: Thank you for the review it made me smile and inspired me to write more on this story.**

 **Guest Review: There is some bashing though not as harsh as other stories I've read.**

 **Other Guest Review:So happy to hear you binged it. I love binging stories too :)  
**

 **Possible Trigger in the italics part. The next chapter will be longer I promise :)  
**

* * *

Bella turned the stone over and over again in her hand. She pressed it hard in her hand trying to warm it against her flesh but it remained as cold as ice. She sipped her coffee and sighed when she heard the bell ring overhead to let her know that her guest had arrived. She heard him order a drink and glanced over as he made a show of adding cream and sugar to the dark brew.

"Anytime you're ready." She said as he went back to the counter to select a pastry, she was convinced that it was a mistake to ask him but there was nobody else. He returned now with a chocolate smothered croissant. He pulled out the chair and sat down opposite her with a frown. He had been shocked to get her owl late last night. When he had tried to reply her owl have flown away to prevent his refusal. Bella continued to flip the stone over and over again in her fingers and it caught his eye, his cup stopped halfway to his lips.

"You know this stone?" She asked laying her palm flat to show it in the light of the café.

He sat the cup down and back away slightly from her, his eyes not leaving the object in her hand.

"Of course I do, everyone in our world knows those stones. Why do you have one and more importantly why are you showing it to me?"

Bella closed her hand over the stone and sighed in relief that it remained freezing in her hand. "I need your help."

He appraised her for a moment and then a broad smile spread over Ron's face. Never in his lifetime did he think he would have ever heard those words from Bellatrix Black. "Alright."

* * *

"Don't be such a prat." Bella said as they stood in the Divination department in the Ministry. "It's just a little blood and you have to give it freely."

"Is this why you chose me in case that things reacts then that's it, I'm sucked in and trapped in there?"

Bella chuckled as she burned the white feather over the stone and then held out her wand to Ron's finger. "No you silly boy I picked you because you're the only virgin in the department."

Ron looked shocked and offended, "I-I-"

Bella blinked at him slowly and waited for him to continue, if he wasn't a virgin then the spell wouldn't work. The seconds ticked by, Ron felt the pull of her eyes, no wonder Hermione fell for her. How could anyone resist those eyes.

"Fine." He huffed after a moment and offered his hand. Bella smirked and then pricked his finger quickly before he could change his mind. She squeezed his finger over the stone and both parties watched as it glowed for a moment and began to glow blue. As the glow grew brighter the stone cracked into shards that landed on the map they had laid on the table. The shards began to move over the map drawing lines crisscrossing the city searching, searching for the center, searching for the guilty.

Ron stared in fascination as various points on the map began to glow like little beacons, Bella waited until each shard found it's home before she released Ron's hand.

"What now?" Ron asked when Bella had pocketed the map.

"Nothing." Bella said with a frown, "I obliviate you and you tell no one of what we did."

"What the bloody he-" Ron didn't finish the sentence before Bella's wand was on him and his eyes went out of focus. He tilted his head for a moment before he looked around confused when his eyes came back right. "What-"

"Are you alright?" Bella asked squeezing his shoulder.

"What-what do you mean?" Ron said confused at the room they were in.

"You fainted Ginger-nuts." Bella said squeezing his shoulder again. "They called me down here to retrieve you."

"But-what-what am I down here for?"

Bella sighed, "Nobody knows how your mind works, if you're feeling up to it go eat some cake perhaps your stomach betrayed you because you haven't filled it in five minutes." With that Bella turned and walked away. She felt no remorse, he couldn't help her with this, nobody could. Her fate was sealed years ago.

* * *

 _She had found the book late one night in her grandmother's library. She had been crying after- well that part was a blank really- the book seemed to call to her that night. She walked stiffly towards it, her wrists hurt, raw and purple from being held so tightly. She climbed the ladder and retrieved it, the old pages filled her nostrils with the smell of parchment and leather. The picture had frightened her at first, the girls with no mouths, the haunted look in their eyes. She hid the book under her nightgown and crept back to her room. She read about the girls, the reapers and then became frustrated by the lack of information on them. She sat up late into the night looking at the spell to summon the girls, she memorized it. She knew that she wouldn't be able to take the book from the house without her grandmother knowing. She quizzed herself over the spell each night, scared to write it down, scared to commit herself so fully to the plan. The night they were due to leave she secreted the book back into the library with a racing heart. What if she really did it, what if she managed to summon them?_

Bella woke with a start, her mouth was sour from the memory, she had blocked it out, blocked all of it out. Her head ached as memories stabbed into her brain, long forgotten smells and sounds made her stomach turn. She shook all over as she tried to draw the blanket up and fall back asleep. She had done this, she had summoned them all those years ago and never banished them. She was responsible for her father's death, for the auror's death, how many more was she responsible for?


	23. Chapter 23

Hermione looked slowly around the apartment; it had been weeks since the incident in the forest. The healers had declared they had done all they could do and she would recuperate better if she were home. Bella had had the house elves in to tidy the flat and had made sure to leave flowers on every available counter top and table. She would still be required to return every few days for check-ups and she had to continue her dreamless sleep potions; though they seldom worked. To be honest Hermione had had enough rest and was anxious to get back into the field and work. Bella refused her requests kindly and let her know that under no circumstances would she be returning to work anytime in the next quarter. With a quick embrace and kiss Bella had left her there alone and told her to floo if anything was needed or call for an elf. Bella had left on a call that couldn't be ignored. Hermione swallowed hard and looked around the silent flat, what in the world was she going to do with her empty days?

She wandered Bella's flat and found herself staring at the bookcase, dozens of volumes lined the shelves and sparked her interest. She glanced at her lover's desk, angry scratches and doodles marked the surfaces of several pieces of parchment. Her eyes fell over the pictures that were draw, her breathing shallow as she stared at the renditions of the red haired girl, Bella's quick notes listed down the side, several books with their pages marked lay next to the parchments. Hermione picked up one of the books and opened it to the marked page. The pages were blank in the book; she flipped the pages back and forth slowly quickly, nothing. She tapped her wand against the leaves of the book and still nothing happened.

"Those are enchanted." Sirius spoke from the doorway to Hermione's slight scream and jump as the book fell to the floor, the pages falling out from the way it had landed. He stepped further into the room and picked up the book restoring the pages quickly and laying it back on the desk. "She wouldn't like you looking at her books and notes." He added without so much as a glance at Bella's cluttered desk. It was the only place in the entire flat that the elves did not touch in their manic cleaning.

"You scared me." Hermione said finally finding her voice.

Sirius stepped away from her, "I gathered by the scream." He smiled and stacked Bella's books making a neat pile. He then began to roll up her parchments and seal them. "She's very private in her work sometimes." He said further as he placed her quills in the cup and refilled her ink bottles.

"Why are you cleaning her desk?" Hermione asked in slight confusion as Sirius lined up Bella's seals and wax.

"Because it will irritate her." He said with a charming laugh before finally cleaning up the little pieces of candle wax that had dripped down onto the old highly polished wood. "I'm here to keep you company by the way and essentially be your errand boy should the need arise."

"I don't-" Hermione paused, "Thank you." She knew there was no arguing with a Black.

He nodded and surveyed her with interest. "You've stuck around a lot longer than I would have thought. Bella's last record was three weeks; if you don't count Sev and I don't."

"They weren't a couple were they?" Hermione asked, her eyes landing on the photo of Bella and Severus at a quiddich match eating caldron cakes.

"Sev and Bella? Naw, he had the hots for Tonks actually. Greasy git." He shook his head, "Never knew what they saw in him, mediocre at best in my opinion."

"He was killed protecting Bella." Hermione said unsure if his hatred of this man should go into the grave. He made her slightly uneasy the way he looked at her with his black eyes so similar to Bella's.

Sirius shrugged slightly and then sat on the squishy armchair that Hermione usually occupied. "So tell me Hermione, how are you managing to last this long with my fickle as fuck cousin?"

She shifted uneasily, her suspicions confirmed; she did not like this man.

"You obviously think she's hiding something if you're snooping in her desk." His voice teased slightly which annoyed Hermione. She didn't know this man and really what did he know of her relationship with Bella.

"I wasn't snooping I was just looking for something to read." Why was she defending herself to him?

He nodded, "Don't let me stop you." He sat back watching her. Hermione had no choice but to pick a book at random and leave the room. She assumed correctly he wouldn't follow her into the bedroom. Why in the world had Bella sent him to look after her?

* * *

Bella ran her fingers through her hair and rubbed her eyes, she was exhausted as she walked slowly down the alleyway towards the home in Spinner's End. It had been months since her last visit here. She melted in relief when her key still worked in the lock, if it hadn't she would have had to call Dora and she was not open to doing that just yet. She stepped over the threshold and held her breath. She was not ready to smell it, to smell the presence of Severus, the smell of his life, his cologne, his being. She moved carefully through the hallway, she did not want to set off any portraits to alarm Dora of her presence in the house. Finally taking a breath she felt her eyes sting with tears, he was fading. She swallowed down the tight knot in her throat and headed for the stairs. "Oh Sev." She said quietly when she entered his potion's room. So many hours spent in this room, each ingredient carefully labeled, volumes of books on the mixtures he had created. She ran her fingers over the leatherbound tomes and worked her way to the store cupboard. Her eyes scanned quickly until she found it. The blood red potion that looked almost black in the crystal phial that held it. Her heart pounded so loudly in her ears she thought it would rattle the delicate concoctions on the shelves. She carefully pocketed the precious liquid and moved away from the store cupboard. "Forgive me Severus."


	24. Chapter 24

Bella surveyed her writing desk and frowned, she had instructed the elves to leave it alone. Her fingers ran over the polished surface; she knew Hermione wouldn't touch her things like this. "Bloody Sirius." She mumbled and left the phial in the desk drawer and then locked it with a key that she dropped back into her pocket. She took off her cloak and hung it off the back of the chair; her dinner was in the kitchen waiting with warming charms from her house elf. She picked it up and paced back and forth in her study staring at the bookcase; her spring roll half eaten in her hand. Hermione was asleep in the bedroom, her fingers marking a page in the book. It was sweet seeing her laying there and as much as Bella wanted to curl into the bed next to her, she had work to do. She tacked up the map with the glowing beacons on it and began to draw a circle showing the radius of each attack as she knew it from her father's death up to the last one; a farmer by the name of Andrews only two weeks prior. She took another bite of the spring roll and then lit a fag. She tacked up pictures of the victims and lists of their associates, her head pounded to connect the dots trying to see their pattern. She couldn't bloody warn every bloody pervert in the magical community; besides she knew the reapers did not discriminate from a past crime and a current one.

Well past midnight Bella crawled into the bed and curled around the small body of her lover. Hermione immediately folding into her arms and snuggled into her neck, soft little kisses dotted her throat. "I missed you." She said sleepily, she felt Bella smile against her hair.

"I missed you too." She rubbed her fingers slowly down Hermione's back, her effort to soothe her lover back into sleep failed as their kisses drew out longer and longer, Bella's fingers undoing the buttons on Hermione's top. "So much." She added as she slipped off the silk boxers that felt nice and cool against her legs.

Tonks came in an hour later to the soft sounds of love making from her aunt's room. She smiled to herself and went into the library to get a book to read. She could never sleep after a raid she was always too wired. She paused at the board Bella had constructed, she looked at the werewolves and the measurements of their bites; the mangled corpse of her grandfather that she had never met. She shuttered, she knew the demon from Bella's nightmares revolved around that man. She had heard Severus and Bella talking very late one night after she had woken from a night terror and Severus had gone in to calm her.

* * *

"So what I am trying to do is triangulate the attack area and then separate the ones that are being caused by werewolves and the ones caused by reapers which," here she paused and then pointed at a photograph of a man with a bite on his leg and stomach; "is easier said than done seeing as how their bites are almost identical." She finished looking at Hermione and Tonks.

"So we have to get bite impressions from every registered werewolf that hasn't submitted one and then compare those to every attack case we've had in the last twenty years to see if it was in fact a werewolf or a reaper?"

"Yes." Bella said relieved that they understood what she needed.

"I have a question." Tonks said raising her hand, Bella rolled her eyes and peered over her glasses at her niece.

"What?"

"What about the dead ones, the werewolves I mean; what if we have a case that was from a dead werewolf?"

"Ah yes, fortunately we have most of them on file, the ones we don't…" She sighed, "Well those are cold case then which…yeah…" She chewed her thumbnail for a moment. "Not ideal I know but…" She trailed off and then looked at Hermione. "Does this sound easy enough I mean, something you can do while I am at work."

"Yes." Hermione said eager to have something to do other than read.

"Great, I'll send Ginger Nuts over to assist you." She said with a smile "Oh and tell Sirius to leave my bloody desk alone. Stupid mutt." She said kicking the chair back into place. She leaned over and kissed Hermione goodbye before grabbing her cloak and heading out the door with Tonks.

* * *

"Bella." Tonks ventured at lunch.

"Mmmm?" She answered looking over the menu before deciding on a chicken pie and chips.

"Were you at Spinner's End this week?" She asked quietly and did not meet her aunt's eyes.

Bella shifted slightly in her seat, "Yes." She said opting for the truth, damnit she had sensors installed.

"You could have just asked if you needed something, I don't mind you going. I am just glad it was you I panicked at first thinking someone had broken in." Tonks said with a sad smile. "I just-I don't want his things disturbed."

"I know. I understand." Bella said and she did. "I was just checking something in his writings that may help with this case. Something he had been working on before…" She trailed off.

Tonks nodded, "Did you find what you needed?"

"No." Bella lied easily, "I might have another look but I couldn't find it."

"Can I help?" Tonks asked curiously at what her aunt needed at Severus' house so long after his death.

"What? Oh no, it was just some notes from a case we were reviewing. Nothing to worry yourself with." A twinge of guilt lay in her heart for lying so effortlessly to her family. Her mind floated back to the phial in the drawer as she moved her glass of water for the waiter to put down her food order. She had to be sure before she said anything more, Tonks would understand.


	25. Chapter 25

**A** / **N Trigger warning for abuse mentions. Sorry for the long delay in updates, hopefully we're back on track now. Thank you guys for all the support so far, I know this is a darker story than I usually write.**

* * *

 _Bella drummed her nails on the desk as Tonks read over the file. "Merlin's balls you read slow." She hissed now flicking at the little bits of parchment that littered her niece's desk. "And you're entirely too messy Auror." She admonished sweeping several pieces of scribbled crumbled papers into the wastebasket. "Where is that boy he should be here by now?" As if on cue, Tonk completed the file and signed it when Ron walked in with Harry._

 _"Oi, Ginger Nuts." She called waving her hand to get Ron's attention. He looked helplessly at Harry who shrugged and hurried away lest the black haired auror require his presence as well. "Get over to my flat and assist Auror Granger with her research. You do know how to do research yes?"_

 _"Uh yeah, yes-yes I do. Mis-uh Auror Black." He finished stumbling over his words. He stood for a moment as if waiting for further instructions._

 _"At some point today Ginger Nuts." She said picking up the file and then standing from Tonks' desk. "Are you ready?" She asked looking at her niece and ignoring Ron. Tonks followed her aunt from the office and into the interrogation rooms. They peered through the glass at a man who looked more animal than human._

 _"St. Mungo's patched him up and sent him over about an hour ago. Claimed he was attacked in the woods by children. Barely managed to apperate away." Tonks said as Bella pushed the door open. The lights flickered above her head as she entered the room._

 _"Mr. Farnsworth?" She asked pretending to check the file as she pulled up a chair. The man jumped at the noise of the chair moving. "Hey, hey it's alright." She said in a gentle tone. "You're safe here, my associate is on guard at the door. No little," She paused as if to check her file again, "children, will attack you again."_

 _"You don' believe me." He said, his voice shaking, his hands showing an obvious tremor. "You don' believe me I tol' em' you wouldn't."_

 _"I believe you. I do, in fact." Bella said leaning towards him now across the narrow divide of the table. "This young lady would like to ask you a few questions." She whispered, a wolf grin on her face as the lights flickered again and the girl with red hair stepped from the shadows of the room. "Did you really think you could escape that easily?" Bella hissed, blood splattered her face as the girl finished her work she had set out to do earlier. The man's throat was ripped out fully, there were no sounds save the last desperate pleas and breathes of the dying man._

* * *

Tonks was in the room, Hermione was against the wall staring as Bella screamed thrashing wildly in the bed, her eyes open and unseeing what was around her. Tonks stunning her and shouting her name to break through the dream. Hermione was gasping for breath, her heart felt as if it were in the throat as Bella shook through the spell as Tonks held her down. "He isn't here Bella. He isn't here." Tonks whispered against her ear, her fingers brushed back the wild mane of black curls. "It's just us. It's just us auntie." She whispered, soft kisses against Bella's hair. Hermione watched as her lover's eyes slowly came into focus to realise where she was. Her throat was sore from screaming, she felt the binds releasing from Tonks' spell. She sank deeper into the bed, her body trembling harder. "It was just a dream, just a dream Bella." Tonks whispered again.

When Bella had finally fallen back asleep Tonks made Hermione a cup of tea, Hermione had said nothing for the last hour save for a few words. She was at a loss as she looked at Tonks staring into her tea cup.

"He always took care of her. Severus." Tonks said to explain who the 'he' was in her sentence. "For as long as I can remember he took care of her. Some big secret they had since they were young; I thought they were in love with each other for years. Because he slept in her place or she slept in his. He understood though, knew her like nobody else had. I asked mum once, why Bella had such bad night terrors. She said I was too young, said it was just what happened when they were young. Mum has them too. The night terrors only, well Bella's has always been so much worse." She picked at the handle of the cup. "It was like that in the pure blood families, back then I guess. What happened behind closed doors, what happened in polite society." Tonks' fingers tightened slightly; "It got better though, once my grandfather died. Hunting accident with werewolves but-" Tonks cast a glance past Hermione and into the study; "But I think it was reapers."

Hermione had known, of course she had known or suspected Bella's history. There were times, quiet times when Bella stared off into space, the way she jumped at small noises. It wasn't her Auror training that made her so alert in the dead of night.

* * *

Ron sat opposite Bella and chewed his lip for a moment to consider what she had said. "So this map, it shows all the locations."

"Yes." Bella said happy he got it on the first try.

"And all these blokes, their-"

"Yes." Bella said again tacking up a sagging corner of the glowing map.

"And you need me because-"

"Because I used your blood to create the paths." Bella concluded in an annoyed with herself voice. "Just my luck you are literally the most annoying virgin on the planet. You are still a virgin yes?"

Ron's face turned as red as his hair. "I don't appreciate you obliviating me." He added after a moment of Bella's quiet chuckles.

"I apologise." She said with sincerity.

"I will only do this if you swear you won't do that again." His voice braver than he felt.

Bella's eyebrow raised, "You will do what I tell you, when I tell you and when we're done you'll be lucky if I don't alter your mind to think you want to groom owls for a living."

"That's a fair deal." Ron concluded. "So when do we start tracking these girls down."

Bella frowned at him, "You misunderstand me Auror, we're not tracking the girls down. We're helping them eliminate their targets."


	26. Chapter 26

They stood in the alley cloaked in the darkness, little puffs was the only indication that anyone stood there. It was after midnight, Ron no longer felt his fingers or toes as they stood; their backs were pressed to the cold bricks. Bella had instructed him to stay silent under pain of death if he so much as coughed. He studied her in the silence, her eyes locked to the door of the pub across the narrow street in Ottery. He could see his childhood home in the distance, the height of it and the crooked way it leaned made it stand out in the little village. His heart pounded as he studied her again, she was beautiful really, the streetlamp caught the edge of her black hair and he couldn't help but imagine Hermione and Bella in bed. Several images ran through his thoughts and he settled on one in particular that allowed for himself to join them in the fantasy.

"Stop the thought or I'll castrate you." She hissed barely moving her mouth. Ron felt his face burn and he tried hard to not clear his throat. He watched her move slightly when the door finally opened. Their target emerged looking left and right before heading away from them down the street. Ron wanted to apologise but kept his mouth shut as Bella watched the man move far enough away for them to emerge from the shadows. He ran over the information in his head, Edward Mallory; age fifty-two and an inclination towards thirteen year old muggleborns. Bella moved in the shadows, her footsteps making no sound as she moved towards the unsuspecting man. They had been watching him for three days now and learning his habits; he went to the same pub every night and left the same way each early morning. When he had left to go for breakfast Ron had followed him while Bella searched his home.

She had acquired several albums featuring his obsessions, in many of the images the subjects were not willing participants. She had set herself on this path, she was not bringing them in for justice, she was ending their paths of destruction. Ron followed her, his hands shook, he knew this bloke; well at least he had seen him around growing up in the little village. His mind floated to his sister, what if- what if Ginny was in those albums? Bella had reassured him that there were no pictures of his sister in the albums; he said this over and over again to calm himself; but what if she hadn't found all the evidence what if-what if he just hadn't taken a photo of Ginny? Hatred for this Edward Mallory rolled off of Ron in waves, Bella looked at him sideways for a moment and frowned, a quiet hiss of sparks erupted off the end of Ron's wand. They watched as he entered his house and lit a lamp in an upstairs room before they crossed to his garden.

"I talk, you watch." Bella said in a short command before touching the doorway and Ron stared in awe as it melted away. "Auror's privillage." She said as they stepped into the darkened hallway. She jerked her chin towards the stairway and then pointed for Ron to check the rooms downstairs. The stairs didn't make a sound as Bella walked close to the wall, Ron was quietly moving through the lower levels in silence, each room sealing off as he went. There were no traps, not tricks, Bella frowned slightly this was not a man expecting anything bad to happen to him.

"Who are you?" The voice came from beside her, a man they hadn't seen before stood with his wand pointed at her, "I saw you here earlier poking around the place."

Ron heard the voices and froze in place below them; he had just sealed off the kitchen and stood in the still dark hallway. He did not speak or make himself known, he was ready, his mind cleared and he waited.

"Auror Black." Bella said with a slow and steady breath, "Put your wand away before you injure someone."

"Edward-" He called and the door to Bella's left opened and the man emerged with his wand out, he did not look surprised to see her. "Says she's an auror."

"I am an auror." Bella said not turning towards them lest either get jumpy and strike at her.

"And what is the auror's office doing sneaking into my home unannounced in the middle of the night?" Edward asked the tip of his wand lit showing Bella's dark features.

"I needed to secure the premises." She answered truthfully.

"And why is that? Am I in danger?" Edward asked sounding slightly nervous now looking at the other man.

"You are." Bella answered again with the truth, it was always easier to answer with the truth, less to keep track of. "I need you to put the wands away, if I want to kill you, you're wands will do nothing to stop me." The certainty in her voice was chilling.

"So why do we need to put them away then?" The unnamed stranger asked though his wand shook slightly.

"Because you may injure me and I am fond of myself, really, plus you don't want to risk Azkaban for injuring myself or my companion."

"Your companion?" Both men looked around trying to peer into the darkness, Ron stayed back in the shadows.

"Indeed, aurors rarely work alone. I wager he'd kill you before you got even so much as a stinging curse out of your wand. And then I would kill Edward and I'd have to do a lot of paperwork and tedious things like that so put the wand the down and let's talk. I can even show you my badge if you'd like."

"Yeah, yeah show me your badge." The man asked, Edward was sweating, Bella saw it as she slowly pulled her cloak back to reveal the silver badge. "Satisfied now?" Both men lowered their wands now, Edwards wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his robes.

"And your partner?"

"Has his wand trained on you if you decide to brandish your wand like a fool." Bella said taking a breath, she wanted to kill them, wanted to rip them slowly apart but she refrained, she was curious about this other man. "Who are you? I was only told about Edward Mallory." Bella said now the men were visibly relaxing and adjusting to the idea of an auror coming to protect them.

"Thomas Grant." He responded trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness and spot Ron. Edward lit the lamp on the stairs and Ron moved back again. He wanted to be up there with Bellatrix wanted to be in the action but refrained, these men knew he was there and they were scared. Ron smiled, he was the action; his smile grew wider.

Bella nodded, "Mr. Mallory you're in great danger."

"I gathered, why though? I'm nobody special."

"Oh but you are, special I mean. There are forces at work set in motion to kill you." Bella enjoyed this part of it. The teasing, the build up. Sure, she could just kill them outright but she wanted them to know, wanted them to see death coming for them. She hadn't anticipated this Thomas person and didn't have time to consult the map in Ron's robe pocket.

"But me, what, what have I done?"

Always innocent, they always asked as though what they did was normal, as though what they did was excused because they never intended to hurt the victim. The last one blamed his victims, blamed them for being in the park, blamed them for not running away from him.

"Can you think of nothing?" Bella asked her mind on the albums of girls. Their images floating in her mind, scared and crying.

He shook his head, "Nothing I've lived in Ottery for sixty years and I've- I've never harmed even a house elf."

This part always disappointed her, the inability to see what they do to others, how they hurt others. She had yet to meet even one who recognized his wrong doing.

"And the girls?" She asked innocently, it went off like a bomb and left both men silent and staring at her after their initial stagger. Ron smirked, Bellatrix should have been an actress.

With a flick of her hand both men were disarmed, their wands caught easily and stowed away in Bella's robes. He waited for it now, waited for the green light, waited to see them fall with their still proclaimed innocence on their lips. It didn't come, he frowned slightly, what was she waiting for?

* * *

Bellatrix signed the parchment and rubbed her eyes, "Good work Ginger-nuts." She said with a slight yawn. The albums, thirty in all were transferred into evidence.

"Auror Black…" he began… "Why-"

She tilted her head slightly and waited for him to continue. When it was apparent that he wasn't going to she sighed, "There- the girls in the albums, there were too many of them. They need to see him brought to justice not just have had him killed."

Ron nodded and stood, he was exhausted. It has been a month since they had started on this mission and it was the first time Bella had brought one in for questioning and a trial. She had threatened to obliviate him in the beginning but he was on board, he understood what she was doing. Bella rubbed her eyes again, her back ached. Hermione had been back to work a week now and Bella hadn't even been there to see her. She glanced at Hermione's desk, the case she was working on lay in the file for the next day.

"Good night." Ron said getting his cloak.

"Good night." Bella replied before standing herself. Ginger nuts wasn't totally useless. She was grateful for that.


	27. Chapter 27

The temperature in the room dropped, she felt it; Hermione stirred next to her but did not wake. She heard the whispers in the shadows and pulled herself out of the bed; her fingers closed over the blood stone on the night stand, her wand moving to her outstretched fingers. It was not a dream, she knew it wasn't she could see her hands, pick things up, her breath rose in clouds as it grew frigid in the room now.

"Come." The voiced called her, "Come and see." There were more mummers now, louder as Bella moved into the light of the sitting room, she was instantly pulled by the stone to the forest clearing, her foot sinking into the damp leaves.

She turned slowly in a circle and then heard her father's voice, he pleaded, claimed his innocence and then, finally, the moment before the girl struck her death blow she spoke, "Oh but she summoned us." Blood soaked the leaves; Bella's white nightgown seemed to be drenched in it. She felt the stone pull her again and she was in the cell looking down at Edward Mallory, he lay crying on his cot. His fingers clutched the blankets, he could see her, he could see them.

"Please, please." He whispered, he held the blanket up as though it were a shield. "Please Auror Black." He said again, there was nowhere for him to run, the solid wall at his back caused him to stop his ill-fated retreat. "I swear," He swallowed, gulped down air in a desperate cry, "I swear I didn't harm anyone."

The girl stepped forward, her smile sending a shiver of pleasure through the assembled girls. The stepped closer to Edward, there was nowhere to go. "Auror Black!" He shouted "Please, help me. SOMEBODY!" He shouted but no one came, no one to aide him in his cry.

"Did they cry for help?" Bella whispered into the darkness of the cell. "When you hurt them did they cry for you to stop?"

"I-" He began, "No-no they didn't I- I never hurt anyone."

Bella retreated further away from him as they others moved closer. "Oh but you did Mallory." The last sounds Bella heard before the stone pulled her away was of Mallory screaming, a gargling sound as the girls descended on him and he felt the fury of those girls he harmed over the years.

* * *

Hermione woke with Bella beside her, an owl tapping furiously against the window; she rose quickly lest the owl wake her dark lover. Stroking the owls head she took the letter and the owl was off again before she could reply. It was a purple ministry letter addressed to Bella. Hermione frowned; she would have to wake her up anyway.

Bella groggily woke up; her body ached as though she had been fighting all night. Her head pounded; the blood stone lay on the floor where she had dropped it the night before when she returned to the flat. "Morning." She whispered sitting up and running her hand over her hair, her hair, like Hermione's was hopeless in the morning. She saw the purple letter and frowned, "Such a great way to wake up."

"Sorry." Hermione said with a sad sigh, she had a feeling their day off was about to be ruined.

"Curse of the job." Bella said taking the envelope. She tore it open and quickly read over the lines, "Fuck." She said with a heavy sigh and handed the notice to Hermione, Edward Mallory was in critical condition at St. Mungo's following a violent attack in his cell. "Hopefully it will just be a few hours love." She said standing up and immediately pulling her hair in to a braid.

"Do you need me to come?" Hermione asked lying back onto the pillows.

"No, no worries, it's not your case; Ginger Nuts will be up there no doubt." She smirked slightly; the only thing that made her feel better about her day off being ruined was that Ron's would be too.

* * *

The cell was a mess; bloody footprints littered the cell along with handprints. Bella scanned the small room with little interest. "Well we can rule out werewolves." Ron said to which Bella rolled her eyes.

"Really?" She said shaking her head, "You earn a little bit of my respect and then you just rip it away with your asinine comments. Your level of deducing the obvious astounds me Ginger."

She gave instructions for Ron to bag and tag several items in the room, photographs were taken and reports filled out which then had to be changed when word came that Mallory had died an hour before of his wounds. Bella was setting herself up to leave when she was called in, Amelia Bones sat with a frown on her face reading over a scroll of parchment.

"Sit." She said not looking up.

Bella sat and stared down at her fingernails, she hadn't expected this.

"Report from St. Mungo's." Amelia said waving her hand over the parchment.

Bella nodded, "Yeah, Mallory died." She said not interested in reading what she knew was the cause of death already.

"Indeed, however before he died, " Amelia held out the parchment to Bella, "He was trying to speak."

Bella did not take the parchment, her eyes locked onto Amelia's

"Any guesses what he was trying to say?"

"How should I know the last words of a sodden child molester?"

"He wrote your name down." Amelia said now dropping the parchment back to her desk. Bella did not blink or act surprised.

"Well yes I was the arresting Auror."

"Bella-"

"Are we done here?" Bella said, her voice low as she stood up, she felt her heart hammering into her ears. "Because if we are I'd like to enjoy my day off."

"We're done- for now." Amelia said and watched Bella leave the office, her rubbed her hands over her eyes in a tired fashion. She read over the document again, maybe it was just because Bella was the last Auror he saw, maybe he wanted to tell her who attacked him. There were no witnesses, no security checks. One minute Mallory was in the cell asleep and the next check he was covered in blood and missing his tongue.

* * *

 **A/N: Just started my summer holiday and am trying to get back into my writing. I am not totally happy with this chapter but if I wait until I am happy with it, it will never get posted. If anyone is still reading/following this story I hope you enjoy the chapter. Thank you for your follows and support.**


	28. Chapter 28

Bella stroked Hermione's hair gently as her lover slept; she pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. It had been nearly a year since Hermione had walked into her life. She felt the gentle sigh as Hermione slept.

"I need to tell you something." Bella whispered into the darkness, Hermione did not stir from her dreams. The words were on the tip of her tongue; her heart began a dull roar in her ears. It would be so easy to say it, so freeing as the weight of her actions dropped like the blood stone into her stomach.

Amelia wasn't stupid; she knew about Bella's past, knew what Andromeda had suffered when they were children. She was going to link it up and when she did no amount of power behind Bellatrix's name was going to save her.

The tapping of light rain hit against the skylight as the night wore on, Ginger would give them up she knew that. She should have obliviated him and left it at that after the first time. She tried to slow her breathing; she wouldn't let him go down with her. The tapping grew more insistent and Hermione stirred and Bella realised it was hail. "I'll protect him." She said pulling the sleeping form closer and closing her eyes. "I promise Pet."

No sooner had she closed her eyes then emerald green flames shot out of the grate. Only her family had access to the grate in her home, spinning out of the flames stood Tonks.

"Ronald Weasley has been arrested." Her mouth was dry from the ash as she grabbed the water from the nightstand and sipped it. Hermione slowly woke and jumped slightly at the sudden appearance of Tonks in the bedroom.

"What? How?" Hermione asked sitting up and remembering to pull the sheet up. Bella was silent as she took the glass back from Tonks and sipped on the water herself.

"Someone tipped off the Internal Investigations Enforcement when Mallory died. Said Ron had been at the hospital asking questions; had gone into his room and that. Next thing you know, Mallory's dead."

"No- what?" Hermione was appalled; surely they would know he was just there asking questions.

Bella laid a steadying hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Mallory died from his wounds after being attacked in his cell. What is IIE playing at?" Her voice steady and calm, she forced herself to breathe and focus her mind on the task at hand.

"That's just it, the footprints in the cell; the attack…" Tonks trailed off for a moment and frowned, "IIE went into his flat. He had all kinds of stuff in there, maps, photos, not just of Mallory, but of a couple other blokes who have died recently and parchments, scrolls and scrolls of them."

"So he was investigating the cases." Hermione said casting her hand around for her t-shirt which Bella grabbed from the floor and handed her. Tonks averted her eyes while Hermione threw it on. "We have to go to him." She insisted as she tugged it down over her torso.

"Nobody can get near him." Tonks shook her head, "IIE won't even let Amelia get in there to question him. He's not talking apparently."

Bella rubbed her hand over her face for a moment and yawned, "Well how do you know all this then?"

"Having Amelia for a mum has its perks, besides I was there when they brought him in."

"What was he like?" Hermione asked slipping out of the bed now to go make tea. "When they brought him in?" The other two women followed her, Bella not bothering to cover up until she found her robe on the couch.

"Confused, kept asking why he was being questioned and that." Tonks said opening the cupboards to retrieve the biscuits.

Bella moved automatically as if she were on autopilot. She should have obliviated him; she should have even though he was open to the task they had gotten themselves into. She sat at the table and sighed, was Tonks watching her? She thought she saw a glance or two, Tonks wouldn't, she wouldn't come for IIE they were family. "Stupid git." She mumbled under her breath and then louder, "If he wanted to investigate it he should have done it at the office. Now he's gone and got everyone up in arms and wasted IIE's time."

"I suppose." Tonks said taking a cup of tea from Hermione with a nod of thanks, "Still, IIE wouldn't have gone in if they thought it was that simple"

"IIE wants to slam someone in our department and they picked the dumbest Auror on the totem pole to do it. You know how they were a few years back with Severus and his potion room; I don't know how many times those idiots pulled us in to question us about mysterious deaths." Bella shook her head, "They have the easiest job in the Ministry besides the Muggle Relations, no offense love," she squeezed Hermione's arm, "and they wasted gold looking into pointless activities of Aurors. They should be sacked the whole lot of them."

The fireplace lit up again with emerald flames, Amelia's head popped into the grate, "I thought I'd find you all awake, my office in twenty. And Bella, bring that damn blood stone of yours and don't you dare deny having one." Amelia's face vanished with a soft whoosh and Tonks and Hermione looked at Bella.


End file.
